Key Details
The APEC report highlights how contamination risks can emerge throughout water-distribution systems and proposes a roadmap centred on standards harmonisation, conformity assessment, laboratory strengthening and market surveillance to improve drinking-water safety.
Theme | Key Finding |
|---|---|
Water Safety Risks | Contamination can occur through pipes, fittings, fixtures and other water-contact products even after water treatment |
International Standards | Greater alignment with ISO, ASTM, NSF/ANSI and other recognised standards can strengthen product safety |
Testing & Certification | Stronger conformity assessment, accreditation and certification systems are needed to verify compliance |
Laboratory Capacity | Expanding accredited laboratories is critical for water-quality monitoring and product testing |
Market Surveillance | Better inspections, traceability and border enforcement can reduce unsafe and counterfeit products |
Regional Cooperation | Knowledge-sharing, workforce training and regulatory cooperation can accelerate implementation |
Policy Direction | Water safety should be treated as an end-to-end governance challenge spanning infrastructure, standards, testing and enforcement |
Summary
Safe Drinking Water Depends on More Than Water Treatment
The APEC Sub-Committee on Standards and Conformance (SCSC) has released a report Strengthening Standards and Technical Regulations for Safer Drinking Water, examining how product standards, technical regulations, testing systems and regulatory enforcement influence drinking-water safety. The report argues that even when water is treated correctly at source, contamination risks can emerge through pipes, fittings, fixtures and other water-contact products used throughout distribution networks. As a result, improving water quality requires stronger governance across the entire supply chain rather than focusing solely on treatment infrastructure.
Standards and Technical Regulations Are Central to Water Safety
A key finding is that science-based standards and technical regulations play a critical role in preventing contamination from materials used in water infrastructure. The report highlights risks associated with lead leaching, heavy-metal migration and other chemical contaminants, and recommends greater alignment with internationally recognised standards such as ISO, ASTM and NSF/ANSI frameworks. Harmonised standards can improve product safety while reducing regulatory fragmentation.
Testing, Certification and Laboratory Systems Need Strengthening
The report identifies significant gaps in conformity assessment, accreditation systems, certification mechanisms and laboratory infrastructure across many economies. It recommends expanding accredited testing facilities, strengthening certification requirements and improving inspection systems to ensure that products used in drinking-water networks comply with health and safety standards before entering the market.
Market Surveillance Is Essential for Consumer Protection
APEC emphasises the importance of market surveillance, traceability systems and border enforcement in preventing unsafe or counterfeit products from entering water-supply networks. The report recommends stronger inspection regimes, digital verification tools and closer coordination among regulators to improve compliance monitoring throughout supply chains.
Regional Cooperation Can Accelerate Safer Water Outcomes
The report proposes a roadmap centred on regulatory cooperation, mutual recognition of testing and certification, workforce training and knowledge-sharing. According to APEC, stronger collaboration can help economies improve implementation capacity while reducing the costs associated with fragmented regulatory systems.
What is Heavy-Metal Migration?
Heavy-metal migration refers to the process through which metals such as lead, cadmium or arsenic leach from pipes, fittings, fixtures or other water-contact materials into drinking water. The risk depends on factors such as material composition, water chemistry and exposure duration. Preventing heavy-metal migration is an important component of drinking-water safety because contamination can occur even after water has been properly treated.
Policy Relevance
Highlights the growing importance of water-quality assurance alongside infrastructure expansion. As programmes such as Jal Jeevan Mission expand piped-water access, ensuring the safety of materials used throughout distribution networks becomes increasingly important.
Strengthens the case for updating product standards and certification systems. Greater alignment between Indian standards and international best practices could improve the safety and reliability of water infrastructure components.
Supports investment in accredited laboratories and testing capacity. Expanding high-quality testing infrastructure would strengthen compliance verification and long-term water-quality monitoring.
Reinforces the need for stronger market surveillance and enforcement. Improved inspections and product traceability can help prevent unsafe or counterfeit components from entering public water systems.
Highlights standards and conformity assessment as public-health tools. Product testing, certification and accreditation influence drinking-water safety as much as treatment infrastructure itself.
Creates opportunities for Indian manufacturers. Stronger certification systems and internationally aligned standards can improve export competitiveness while supporting higher-quality domestic production of water infrastructure components.
Follow the Full Report Here: Strengthening Standards and Technical Regulations for Safer Drinking Water: Developing an International Roadmap