What is VA Approval?
The requirements regarding the quality of drinking water in Denmark are set by the drinking water executive order. It specifies the substances permitted in the water and the quantities in which said substances may occur. This is to ensure that we can safely drink tap water directly from our faucets
From the reservoir to the consumer’s faucet, the water may come into contact with several types of materials that may affect and change the quality of the water. For this reason, Denmark has strict requirements applying to construction materials connected to, or contained in, drinking water installations. This ensures that the water is not adversely affected during treatment and transportation.
Construction regulations specify that any materials contained in or connected to drinking water installations are required to have a VA Approval. (VA: water and drainage). Manufacturers, importers and retailers must therefore ensure that the relevant construction products get a VA Approval, before they are marketed or sold in Denmark.
The VA Approval is a Danish requirement ensuring that health related requirements for drinking water in Denmark are observed. It ensures that all materials that come into contact with drinking water are toxicologically assessed, and that construction products do not contain harmful substances. It also ensures that all materials used in water installations are tested for migration of harmful substances and bacterial growth.
Regulatory Framework
The Danish executive order on marketing, sale and market monitoring of construction products, executive order no. 1075 of 13/11/2008 amended by no. 1375 of 01/12/2010, declares that all construction materials covered by the VA Approval requirement must have the VA logo on the product itself, on a label attached to the packaging, or on a document found in the packaging. This requirement comes into effect on June 15, 2011. The VA logo consists of the letters “VA” as seen below:
The logo must be accompanied by the manufacturer’s name or identification mark and the product’s VA Approval number.
The actual requirements that construction product must meet in order to qualify for the VA label can be found in “Miljøstyrelsens orientering nr. 6 fra 2004 ”VA-godkendelse af vandbehandlingsanlæg til montering i husinstallationer” (Environmental Protection Agency's briefing no. 6 of 2004, “VA Approval of water treatment facilities to be installed in households”). This is supplemented by “Miljøstyrelsens Miljøprojekt Nr. 5 fra 2006 ”Opstilling af forsøgsprotokol til vurdering af mikrobiel vækst i forbindelse med VA-godkendelse af større vandbehandlingsanlæg” (Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Project, no. 5 of 2006, “Laying down test protocols for assessing microbial growth in connection with VA Approval of major water treatment plants”) In these two documents, the requirements regarding the composition of construction materials, migration of substances and limits for bacterial growth are described.
In October 2010, The National Agency for Enterprise and Construction issued "Vejledning om VA-godkendelse af vandfiltre" (Guidelines for VA Approval of water filters). The guidelines were revised in April 2011 and specify the products and components covered by the VA Approval scheme.
Which products are covered by the VA Approval scheme?
From the source of the drinking water and all the way to the connected appliance – e.g. a coffee maker or espresso machine – the VA Approval requirement applies to all components that come into contact with drinking water. The actual coffee maker/espresso machine does not fall under the regulations for VA Approval, but are covered by the regulations for materials and articles that come into contact with food.
Previously, there has been doubt about whether water treatment filters were covered by the VA Approval scheme. The National Agency for Enterprise and Construction has therefore published a guide specifying that water treatment filters are covered, and that requirements for both a toxicological assessment of constituent substances, documentation regarding migration of hazardous substances and bacteriological testing must be met. The only exceptions are filters whose manufacturers have stated that they will be used exclusively in machines for hot drinks, where the water is heated to at least 90o C. In such cases, the bacteriological test can be left out and it must appear from the VA Approval that the product can only be used with machines for hot drinks.
Who approves?
ETA-Danmark A/S issues VA Approvals on behalf of the National Enterprise and Construction Authority. In order for a construction product to receive a VA Approval, the manufacturer/importer must submit documentation stating that the construction product has undergone a toxicological assessment, as well as documentation that migration of hazardous substances and bacterial growth will not adversely affect the quality of the drinking water.
Based on the submitted documentation, ETA-Danmark verifies that the requirements are fulfilled and issues a VA Approval if the documentation is in order. An application form to request VA Approval, as well as a list of existing VA Approvals, is available at ETA-Danmark’s website.
How can Eurofins Product Testing help?
Eurofins Product Testing can assist with the toxicological assessment of construction materials and by setting up a test programme as well as carrying out the tests in our own laboratories.
Based on information regarding the composition of the product, we can obtain information about the individual ingredients and compare this information to the relevant requirements regarding the quality of the drinking water.
We can either make an assessment based on material from suppliers provided by the manufacturers/importers, or we can contact the suppliers ourselves in order to obtain the required information.
