1. Action Title: Metals and related substances in drinking water
Action number: 637
Start date: 01/12/2006
End date: 30/11/2010
Year: 4
Presenter’s Name: Dr Colin Hayes
Function in the Action: Chair
Swansea University, UK

2. Scientific context and objectives (1/3)
Raise the profile of metals and related substances in drinking water
Create a research community and encourage the inclusion of young researchers
Stimulate research at the European scale
Improve dissemination of existing and emerging knowledge across Europe
Help to inform policy and resolve major health and economic issues

3. Scientific context and objectives (2/3)
Research directions facilitated by:
Annual international conferences
Annual research seminars
Liaison with policy makers (we have 4 in the Action!)
Best Practice Guides
Training courses
Collaborative research projects

4. Scientific context and objectives (3/3)
The main issues:
Lead (Pb): mainly from old Pb pipes, up to 25% of houses in the EU may have a Pb pipe, significant health implications, very high cost of replacement, environmental concerns about dosing ortho-phosphate, major sampling deficiencies
Nickel (Ni): leaching from nickel-chrome plated fittings, particularly taps, current standard of 20 µg/l exceeded in 10% of random samples, ortho-phosphate achieved (2008) 99.84% compliance in UK, EU may relax the standard to 70 µg/l
Arsenic (As): many groundwater supplies are affected, particularly those in or near mountainous regions
As, Fe & Pb are core parameters in the Protocol on Water and Health
There are between 2 and 10 million small/very small supplies in the EU (serving at least 10% population) – many are private wells

5. Predicted extent of Pb problems
Plumbosolvency
Percentage houses in zone > 10 µg/l based on RDT samples, for each %Pb occurrence
Category M E
10% Pb
30% Pb
50% Pb
70% Pb
90% Pb
Very high
0.3
450
6.5
18.9
31.6
45.1
56.6
High
0.2
300
5.2
16.7
28.0
38.7
49.0
Moderate
0.1
150
3.9
12.1
20.2
28.9
37.0
Low
0.06 90
2.5
7.7
13.5
18.4
23.5
Phosphate dosed
0.02 30
0.4
1.1
2.1
2.7
3.2

6. Number and percentage of zones in each category
Zonal failure rates for lead in drinking water in 55 zones, based on real RDT sampling and 10 µg/l
Percentage RDT samples
> 10 µg/l
Number and percentage of zones in each category
0 to 9.9
(32.7%)
10 to 19.9
20 to 29.9
(20.0%)
30 to 39.9
(5.5%)
40 to 49.9
(7.3%)
50 to 59.9
(1.8%)

7. Pb and IQ (simplification)30
Predicted exposures in City with 70% Pb pipes
and high plumbosolvency (M=0.2) 1% O 20 5%
Blood Pb
(µg/dl) O IQ
Minus 1 to 3 (4.6)
23% O 10
US CDC trigger for action to prevent
Pb poisoning in children IQ
Minus (7.4)
Average water Pb (µg/l)
WHO/EU EU

8. Results vs. Objectives (1/2)
Major achievements have been:
To influence an EC-JRC Working Group in the advice given to the EC concerning the revision of the EU Drinking Water Directive (EC/98/83) – Pb will have a much higher profile
The publication (EC), with the EC-JRC, of guidelines for sampling for Pb in drinking water, for use by the Parties to the UN/WHO Protocol on Water and Health, allied to the adoption of Pb as a health based target parameter
The publication (EC) of a Technical Digest on Pb to raise awareness
The publication of a Best Practice Guide on the Control of Lead in Drinking Water

9. Results vs. Objectives (2/2)
Additionally, inputs have been made in the review of US and Canadian legislation on Pb in drinking water
A better understanding of Ni in drinking water
The bringing together of research groups working on As
More recent emphasis on other metals (Fe, Mn) and mineral balance (Ca, Mg)

10. Significant highlights (1/3)
The Action is in transition to a self-funding IWA Specialist Group
The SG will participate in a 1-day workshop on “Phosphorus management in the water cycle” at the next World Water Congress (Montreal, September 2010)

11. Significant highlights (2/3)
Best Practice Guides (to be published by the
International Water Association):
[1] Control of Lead in Drinking Water – published April 2010
[2] Metals Removal by Treatment – to be published in 2010
[3] Sampling Metals in Drinking Water – to be published in 2010
[4] Control of Arsenic in Drinking Water – to be published in 2011
[5] Metal Materials Use and Testing – planned for 2011
[6] Rehabilitation of Cast-Iron Water Mains – planned for 2011
[7] Control of Radio-nuclides in Drinking Water – planned for 2012
Each BPG will be supported by a 2-day training course and an
abbreviated guide for small communities

12. Over-view of strategy Best Practice Guide Guide for Small Communities
Technical
Digest
Training
Courses
Free from
Internet to
promote BPG
& training
Awareness
raising & IWA
promotions

13. Significant highlights (3/3)
Dissemination of the 4MS Harmonised Procedure, for
the approval of metal products in contact with drinking
water, is planned at our 4th International Conference
(Kristianstad, Sweden, October 2010)
Aim is to become the discussion focal point
Potential for Europe-wide adoption
Testing is likely to be contentious

14. Working groups WG1 Plumbosolvency control
WG2 Cuprosolvency control and other metal leaching
WG3 Metals removal by treatment
WG4 Environmental, health & socio-economic impacts

15. Coordination, management and internal functioning
Core Group has met quarterly and MC has met twice a year: this has been effective with strong participation – there is a very good collective spirit
Encouragement of younger scientists:
STSMs have been increased in number
Several post-graduate research projects have been linked to the Action
We have appointed several young researchers to our WGs

16. Action Parties Yr1 14 countries
Also working with IWA, WHO, EC-JRC, US-EPA
& Health Canada
Action 637 did not migrate to the Grant Award system

17. Action participants Approximate numbers of MC, WG members, associates
and linked researchers:
Yr1: 20 Yr2: 40 Yr3: 60 Yr4: 70
About 40% have been and are female
To 500 in IWA

18. Geographical impact COST Countries : 26 Chair : UK
List of COST country code members of the Action: AT,BE,BG,CH,CY,CZ,DK,FN,FR,DE,GR,HU,IL,IR,IT,LV,LT,ND,
PL,PT,RO,RS,ES,SE,TR,UK
Non-COST institutions:
WHO, EC-JRC, US-EPA, Health Canada

19. Use of COST instruments
YR 1
YR 2
YR 3
YR 4
No. of MC / WG meetings 2 3 4
No. of STSMs 6
9 (10?)
No. of workshops / conferences
No. of joint publications
No. of training schools 1
GASG (activities)
Posters, website
Website

20. Strengths and weaknesses
STENGTHS:
Action 637 has a wide range of disciplines and institutional representation:
water regulators water companies health agencies research institutes engineering consultancies SMEs universities trade associations EC-JRC WHO US-EPA Health Canada
WEAKNESSES:
Limited supporting resources and the time needed to deal with punctilious COST procedures.
The high turnover of Administration and Science Officers.
Science Officers could have been more interactive.

21. Challenges
Our main challenge is to complete the transition to a self-funding IWA Specialist Group by November 2010
We are confident that we have an excellent platform from the Action to do this
We anticipate a major expanding role for research and knowledge exchange over the next 5-10 years as Europe (and North America) finally get to grips with metals and related substances in drinking water
Our future horizons also include Asia, Australasia, Africa and South America

22. Thank you Thank you COST
We could not have achieved what we have without you