NSF Launches EU‑MHR Pre‑Assessment Services to Secure 2027 Drinking Water Compliance

03 December 2025

New service helps manufacturers avoid market delays as European drinking water regulations take effect on January 1st, 2027

BRUSSELS, Belgium (Dec. 03, 2025) — With just 13 months before the EU’s new drinking water regulations take effect, NSF, a global leader in public health and safety standards, today launched its Pre-Assessment Services to help manufacturers confidently meet EU-MHR (Minimum Health Requirements) compliance deadlines.

NSF’s Pre-Assessment Services address mounting industry concerns about certification bottlenecks, testing delays and regulatory complexity as the revised European Drinking Water Directive (DWD) replaces national schemes across all 27 member states from January 1st, 2027.

While EU-MHR changes the game for the entire European water supply chain, manufacturers face a perfect storm of tight deadlines, limited testing capacity and complex new requirements. Our EU-MHR Pre-Assessment Services remove the uncertainty by enabling you to prepare for EU-MHR now. It identifies compliance gaps and gives companies a head start to secure Europe-wide market access.”

David Platt, director of Water, EMEA, at NSF.

The new service assesses technical information on materials and formulations, evaluates production facilities and quality systems, as well as testing in European laboratories under EU-MHR conditions. It supports manufacturers of all final products that come into contact with drinking water, from pipes, valves and fittings to gaskets and pumps, before formal certification begins.

NSF recently developed Protocol 534 (P534) to address the challenges facing suppliers of raw materials and intermediate products in European markets. P534 enables manufacturers to verify material safety and compliance at the earliest stages of production, significantly reducing downstream risk and accelerating readiness for EU-MHR requirements.

P534 covers the full spectrum of pre-products, from plastic granulates and formulation ingredients such as colorants, solvents, fillers, stabilizers, and antioxidants, to complex mixtures including glass fiber, sizing agents and masterbatches. The protocol also evaluates intermediate products, such as ingredients for cementitious materials and coating hardeners, as well as site-applied products, including coatings and epoxy resins.

The transition from fragmented national schemes to harmonized EU standards represents the biggest regulatory change in European water safety in decades and affects thousands of manufacturers. Early preparation is key; companies that start their compliance journey now will maintain a competitive advantage while others face potential delays and market exclusion.”

Samantha Duffy, senior manager of Global Water Programs, EU & UK, at NSF.

The new EU-MHR regulation replaces all national standards across Europe, such as France’s ACS certification and Germany’s UBA guidelines, with a single unified risk-based standard. Compliance now requires independent third-party certification, regular facility audits, and detailed documentation for all products that contact drinking water, which is a significant departure from previous national schemes.

We are seeing unprecedented demand from manufacturers who recognize that early compliance preparation translates directly to competitive advantage. The companies that engage with our pre-assessment services now will be first to market when regulations take effect.”

David Platt, director of Water, EMEA, at NSF.

Companies interested in gaining European market access are invited to contact NSF to begin the pre-assessment process. To schedule an EU‑MHR pre‑assessment or to learn how P534 can support your supply chain, visit NSF’s EU‑MHR Pre‑Assessment Services page.

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About NSF

NSF is an independent, global services organisation dedicated to improving human and planet health for more than 80 years by developing public health standards and providing world-class testing, inspection, certification, advisory services and digital solutions to the food, nutrition, water, life sciences and consumer goods industries. NSF has 40,000 clients in 110 countries and is a World Health Organisation (WHO) Collaborating Centre on Food Safety, Water Quality and Medical Device Safety.

Editor notes

EU Drinking Water Directive (2020/2184): The Commission adopted six acts under Article 11 and Article 12 in January 2024; the new hygiene standards apply from Jan 1, 2027, to materials and products used in new installations or repairs, enabling a single EU marking and EU Declaration of Conformity.
Key milestones: EU DWD recast adopted in 2020; Article 11 acts adopted/published 2024; application date Jan 1, 2027 (new products/new installations), end of transition Dec. 31, 2032 (all products).
Who is impacted: Manufacturers of starting substances, compositions, constituents, and final materials/products used in the abstraction, treatment, storage and distribution of drinking water, e.g., pipes, valves, pumps, meters, fittings, taps, coatings and sealants.
NSF EU‑MHR Pre‑Assessment scope: Formulation reviews, testing under EU‑MHR conditions in accredited European laboratories, facility and QMS evaluations, and P534 pre‑product evaluations; project‑managed with audit capability in 110+ countries.