RIVM Finds Rising Chemical Levels in Water – Calls for Action

It RIVM has investigated 65 new chemicals in surface water, five of which require extra attention. The institute believes that fewer chemicals should be discharged into surface water and calls water managers to account for their responsibility because of drinking water safety.

The water managers are Rijkswaterstaat, water boards, municipalities and provinces. They check whether there are new chemicals in the surface water. A third of the drinking water in the Netherlands is obtained from this water. For substances above the so-called signaling value occur, it must be investigated whether the substance can pose a health risk via drinking water.

The RIVM examined 65 substances that exceeded that signaling value in surface water between 2017 and 2020. These are mainly substances from industries, residues of medicines and pesticides.

For five substances, the environmental institute concluded that the concentrations in surface water are too high to produce safe drinking water with simple purification, something that is required according to the European water directive.

What this means in practice for the safety of drinking water is still partly unknown. The RIVM notes that drinking water companies in the Netherlands often do more than simple purification.

One of the five substances found in high concentrations is lithium. Based on further research, the RIVM concludes that lithium in our drinking water currently poses no risk to health. The RIVM still wants to investigate this for the other four substances.

To safeguard quality in the future, it is important that fewer chemicals end up in the water, the institute warns. The fabrics mainly end up in surface water via industrial discharges. According to the RIVM, drinking water companies and water managers will therefore have to make increasing efforts to keep drinking water clean.