Every grade on the 24th revision of August 2026, with its full composition, where it may be used, and its status on the EU positive list that applies from 31 December 2026.
The 4MS list is the positive list of metal compositions accepted for products in contact with drinking water by the 4MS Initiative: France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, the “four Member States”, joined by Denmark in 2018. For each listed brass, bronze, gunmetal and copper it fixes the limit of every constituent and impurity, and the product groups (A to D) in which the material may be used. The current edition is the 24th revision of 10 August 2026.
The four countries agreed in 2007 to align their approvals and signed a Declaration of Intent in January 2011. The list binds only where national law adopts it: Germany, France and the Netherlands wrote it into their rules, the UK uses it for the public supply, Denmark does not apply it to metals.
Part A is the test method, Part B the positive list (the “4MS Common Composition List” until 2020), Part C the rules for finished products. The German Environment Agency publishes them; the UK has stayed in the group since leaving the EU.
Most brasses on it carry lead only as an impurity, 0.2 % or less. Leaded brasses are on it too: CW617N-DW with 1.6–2.2 % lead for product groups B to D, CW614N-DW with 2.5–3.5 % for groups C and D only.
Which copper alloys of the 24th revision are also on the EU positive list, which are on the 4MS list only, and which are on neither. The full compositions follow below.
Limits in % by mass, exactly as printed in the 24th revision of 10 August 2026. rem. = remainder. A value marked * is restricted more tightly than the standardised EN composition of the grade. Every copper alloy below is also limited to each other impurity < 0.02 %. Groups = product groups the grade is accepted for; EU = entry number on the EU positive list (Decision 2024/367); DE 2028 = may no longer be in products newly installed in Germany from 12 January 2028.
| Grade | Cu | Zn | Pb | Ni | Fe | Sn | Al | Si | P | As | Sb | Mn | Mg | Bi | Groups | EU | DE 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CW501L-DWCuZn10 | 89.0–91.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.2* | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | C–D | 1644 | — |
CW502L-DWCuZn15 | 84.0–86.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.2* | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | B–D | — | — |
CW503L-DWCuZn20 | 79.0–81.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.2* | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | B–D | — | — |
CW506LCuZn33 | 66.0–68.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.2* | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | B–D | 1645 | — |
CW507L-DWCuZn36 | 63.5–65.5 | rem. | ≤ 0.1* | ≤ 0.2* | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.1 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | B–D | 1646 | — |
CW508L-DWCuZn37 | 62.0–64.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.1 | ≤ 0.2* | ≤ 0.1 | ≤ 0.1 | ≤ 0.05 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | B–D | 1647 | — |
CW509L-DW¹²CuZn40 | 59.5–61.5 | rem. | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.2* | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.10* | ≤ 0.10* | – | – | – | – | – | B–D | 1648 | — |
CW510L-DW²CuZn42 | 57.0–59.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.2* | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.10* | ≤ 0.10* | – | – | – | – | – | B–D | 1649 | — |
CC773SCuZn42Al | 57.0–59.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.2 | – | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | 0.1–0.3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | B–D | 1650 | — |
CuZn39Al-C | 58.0–63.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.1 | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | 0.3–0.9 | ≤ 0.05 | – | – | – | – | – | – | B–D | — | — |
CuZn35Al1.5Sn | 64.0–66.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.10 | 0.50–0.70 | 1.40–1.60 | ≤ 0.2 | – | – | – | ≤ 0.10 | – | – | B–D | 1651 | — |
CuZn35AlSiFe | 62.5–64.5 | rem. | ≤ 0.15 | ≤ 0.09 | 0.04–0.1 | ≤ 0.1 | 0.5–0.85 | 0.5–0.8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | B–D | 1652 | — |
CW511L-DWCuZn38As | 61.5–63.5 | rem. | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.1 | ≤ 0.1 | ≤ 0.05 | – | – | 0.02–0.15 | – | ≤ 0.1* | – | – | B–D | — | ✕ |
CW511L-DWCuZn38As (“low lead” entry) | 61.5–63.5 | rem. | ≤ 0.10* | ≤ 0.10* | ≤ 0.1 | ≤ 0.1 | ≤ 0.05 | – | – | 0.02–0.10* | – | ≤ 0.1* | – | – | B–D | — | — |
CW707RCuZn30As | 69.0–71.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.07 | – | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.05 | – | – | – | 0.02–0.06 | – | ≤ 0.1 | – | – | B–D | 1653 | — |
CuZn35Al-C | 63.0–64.5 | rem. | ≤ 0.2 | – | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | 0.2–0.7 | – | – | 0.04–0.14 | – | ≤ 0.1 | – | – | B–D | 1654 | — |
CC771S³CuZn36AlAsSb-C | 62.0–65.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.20 | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.3 | 0.45–0.7 | – | – | 0.02–0.04 | 0.02–0.05 | ≤ 0.1 | – | – | B–D | 1656 | — |
CW727R-DWCuZn35Sn1P | 63.5–65.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.10 | 0.5–1.0 | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.10 | 0.05–0.15 | – | – | – | – | – | B–D | — | — |
CW730R-DWCuZn41Sn1P | 57.0–59.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.03* | ≤ 0.2 | 0.3–1.0 | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.10 | 0.05–0.1 | – | – | – | – | – | B–D | — | — |
CuZn41Mg | 57.0–60.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.3 | – | ≤ 0.1 | – | – | – | – | – | 0.1–0.5 | – | B–D | — | — |
CuZn38Bi1Al-C | 58.0–63.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.1 | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.5 | 0.3–0.9 | ≤ 0.05 | – | – | – | ≤ 0.05 | – | 0.3–1.6 | B–D | — | — |
CC761SCuZn16Si4-C | 81.0–83.0* | rem. | ≤ 0.1* | ≤ 0.1* | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.1 | 3.0–4.5* | ≤ 0.03 | – | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.04 | – | – | B–D | — | — |
CW724R-DW⁴CuZn21Si3P | 75.0–77.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.1 | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.2* | ≤ 0.05 | 2.7–3.5 | 0.02–0.10 | – | – | ≤ 0.05 | – | – | B–D | 1658 | — |
CC768S⁴⁵CuZn21Si3P-C | 75.0–77.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.1 | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.2* | ≤ 0.05 | 2.7–3.5 | 0.02–0.10 | – | – | ≤ 0.05 | – | – | B–D | 1659 | — |
CW728R-DWCuZn40SiP | 58.5–60.5 | rem. | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.05 | 0.10–0.3 | 0.10–0.20 | – | – | ≤ 0.05 | – | – | B–D | — | — |
CW729R-DWCuZn29Si1SnP | 68.5–70.5 | rem. | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.1 | 0.15–0.35 | ≤ 0.05 | 1.30–1.55 | 0.10–0.20 | – | – | ≤ 0.05 | – | – | B–D | — | — |
CuZn36Mn1Si1Sn1Al-C | 58.0–63.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.1 | ≤ 0.1 | ≤ 0.3 | 0.4–1.5 | 0.02–0.9 | 0.2–2.0 | ≤ 0.3 | – | – | 0.2–2.0 | – | – | B–D | — | — |
¹ Germany’s UBA list prints Cu 59.0–61.5 for CW509L-DW. ² EU entries 1648 and 1649 name no P or Si limit, so each falls under “each other impurity < 0.02”; 4MS allows ≤ 0.10. ³ Printed as CuZn38AsSb-C, without asterisks, in the 4MSI list; the UBA and EU lists name it CuZn36AlAsSb-C (same composition) and mark Ni ≤ 0.20 as tighter than the standardised EN composition. ⁴ EU entries 1658 and 1659 allow Sn ≤ 0.3; the 4MS list restricts Sn to ≤ 0.2. ⁵ B and Zr (grain refiners) < 0.02 in the final material.
| Grade | Cu | Zn | Pb | Ni | Fe | Sn | Al | Si | As | Sb | Mn | Groups | EU | DE 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CW617N-DWCuZn40Pb2 | 57.0–60.0 | rem. | 1.6–2.2* | ≤ 0.1* | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.03 | – | – | – | B–D | — | ✕ |
CW612N-DWCuZn39Pb2 | 57.0–60.0 | rem. | 1.6–2.2* | ≤ 0.1* | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.03 | – | – | – | B–D | — | ✕ |
CW614N-DWCuZn39Pb3 | 57.0–62.0 | rem. | 2.5–3.5 | ≤ 0.2* | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.03 | – | – | – | C–D | — | ✕ |
CW603N-DWCuZn36Pb3 | 57.0–62.0 | rem. | 2.5–3.5 | ≤ 0.2* | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.03 | – | – | – | C–D | — | ✕ |
CC757SCuZn39Pb1Al-C | 58.0–63.0 | rem. | 0.2–1.4 | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.5 | 0.3–0.9 | ≤ 0.05 | – | – | ≤ 0.05 | B–D | — | ✕ |
CC770SCuZn36Pb-C | 62.0–64.0 | rem. | 0.2–1.6* | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | 0.5–0.7 | – | 0.04–0.14 | – | ≤ 0.1 | B–D | — | ✕ |
CW626N-DWCuZn33Pb1.5AlAs | 64.0–66.0 | rem. | 1.2–1.7 | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | 0.8–1.0 | – | 0.02–0.15 | – | ≤ 0.1 | B–D | — | ✕ |
CW625N-DWCuZn35Pb1.5AlAs | 62.0–64.0 | rem. | 1.2–1.6 | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | 0.5–0.7 | – | 0.02–0.15 | – | ≤ 0.1 | B–D | — | ✕ |
CC772SCuZn36Pb1.5AsSbAl-C | 62.0–65.0 | rem. | 0.2–1.1 | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.3 | 0.45–0.7 | – | 0.02–0.04 | 0.03–0.06 | ≤ 0.1 | B–D | — | ✕ |
CW725R-DWCuZn33Pb1AlSiAs | 64.0–67.0 | rem. | 0.4–0.6* | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | 0.1–0.4 | 0.1–0.3 | 0.04–0.08 | – | ≤ 0.1 | B–D | — | ✕ |
The DW lead range of CW614N-DW and CW603N-DW (2.5–3.5) is narrower than the EN 12164:2024 range of standard CW614N (2.2–3.5); see the DW section below.
| Grade | Cu | Zn | Pb | Ni | Fe | Sn | Al | Si | P | Sb | Mn | S | Groups | EU | DE 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CC499KCuSn5Zn5Pb2-C (leaded gunmetal) | 84.0–88.0 | 4.0–6.0 | 0.2–3.0 | 0.1–0.60 | ≤ 0.30 | 4.0–6.0 | – | – | ≤ 0.04 | ≤ 0.10 | – | ≤ 0.04 | B–D | — | ✕ |
CC470KCuSn4Zn2PS | 90.0–96.0 | 1.0–3.0 | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | 3.0–5.0 | – | – | 0.01–0.1 | ≤ 0.1 | – | 0.2–0.6 | B–D | 1657 | — |
CC245ECuSi4Zn4MnP-C | rem. | 1.0–7.0 | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | 2.5–4.5 | 0.05–0.15 | – | 0.03–0.09 | – | B–D | 1660 | — |
CC246ECuSi4Zn9MnP-C | rem. | 7.0–11.0 | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | 2.5–4.5 | 0.05–0.15 | – | 0.03–0.09 | – | B–D | 1661 | — |
CW245E-DWCuSi4Zn4MnP | rem. | 1.0–7.0 | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.10* | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | 2.5–4.5 | 0.05–0.15 | – | 0.01–0.09 | – | B–D | 1662 | — |
CW246E-DWCuSi4Zn9MnP | rem. | 7.0–11.0 | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.10* | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.3 | 2.5–4.5 | 0.05–0.15 | – | 0.01–0.09 | – | B–D | 1663 | — |
CuSi3Zn12FeMnP | 80.0–88.0 | rem. | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.05 | 0.3–0.5 | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.2 | 2.4–4.1 | 0.01–0.03 | – | 0.1–0.2 | – | B–D | — | — |
CW453KCuSn8 | rem. | ≤ 0.2 | – | ≤ 0.2 | ≤ 0.1 | 7.5–8.5 | – | – | 0.02–0.4* | – | – | – | C–D | 1664 | — |
CuSn10-C | 88.0–90.0 | ≤ 0.5 | 0.2–1.0 | ≤ 0.2* | ≤ 0.2 | 9.0–11.0 | – | – | 0.01–0.2 | ≤ 0.1* | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.05 | B–D | 1665 | — |
| Grade | Cu | P | O | Groups | EU | DE 2028 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CW024ACu-DHP | ≥ 99.9 | 0.015–0.04 | – | A–D | 1668 | — |
CW004A¹Cu-ETP | ≥ 99.90 | – | ≤ 0.040* | C–D | 1669 | — |
CW008ACu-OF | ≥ 99.95 | – | – | B–D | 1670 | — |
CW020ACu-PHC | ≥ 99.95 | 0.001–0.006 | – | B–D | 1671 | — |
CW021ACu-HCP | ≥ 99.95 | 0.002–0.007 | – | B–D | 1672 | — |
CW023ACu-DLP | ≥ 99.90 | 0.005–0.013 | – | B–D | 1673 | — |
Tinned copper pipes and fittings — CW024A (Cu-DHP) with a 1 µm tin layer, product groups A–D, EUPL 1674; tin-layer composition: Sn > 90 · Cu < 10 · As ≤ 0.01 · Bi ≤ 0.01 · Cd ≤ 0.01 · Cr ≤ 0.01 · Ni ≤ 0.01 · Pb ≤ 0.01 · Sb ≤ 0.01.
¹ O*: here the asterisk is the list’s own footnote, not a tighter-than-EN limit; oxygen has a technological function, so no minimum can be set.
Product group D only. The list also accepts further copper alloys without individual testing if they stay within generic limits: Cu, Zn, Si, Sn and P unrestricted; Al, Fe, Mn and Ni ≤ 3.0; Pb ≤ 3.5; As and Sb ≤ 0.25; all other elements ≤ 0.1 % by mass. The EU counterpart, entry 1691, keeps the same limits except Pb ≤ 1.8 and expires on 31 December 2031.
Lead appears on the list in two ways: as an impurity, capped at 0.05–0.2 % in most brasses, or as an alloying element in the leaded grades, from 0.2 % up to 3.5 %. The closest the list comes to “lead-free” is the “(low lead)” label on one of its two CW511L-DW entries.
EU law controls lead at the tap, 10 µg/l today and 5 µg/l by 12 January 2036 at the latest, and through positive lists of accepted compositions. The EU list does not cap brass at 0.1 % lead either: CW509L-DW, CW510L-DW and several other brasses are listed with Pb ≤ 0.2 %.
Federal law defines “lead free” for products, not alloys: no more than 0.2 % lead in solder and flux, and no more than a 0.25 % weighted average across the wetted surfaces of pipes, fittings and fixtures, using the maximum of each material’s range. In force since 4 January 2014; since 1 September 2023 compliance must be shown by certification, for example to NSF/ANSI/CAN 372.
From 12 January 2028 Germany applies 5 µg/l lead, and eleven entries of its list, most of them leaded, may no longer be in newly installed products: CW617N-DW, CW614N-DW and the standard CW511L-DW entry (Pb ≤ 0.2 %) among them. The “low lead” CW511L-DW entry (Pb ≤ 0.10 %) is not on that exit list.
In the 2024 editions of the European copper product standards (EN 12165 for forging stock, EN 12166 for wire, EN 12167 for profiles and bars, EN 12420 for forgings) “DW” in the product designation means that the chemical composition complies with the 4MS Common Composition List. EN 12165, EN 12166 and EN 12167 make it mandatory when the product is used for drinking water under that list and say it is not to be given otherwise; EN 12420 includes it in the designation and the ordering information for drinking-water use. A designation then reads, for example, Bar EN 12167 — CuZn40Pb2 — DW — …. Cast CC grades carry no DW suffix.
| Element | CW614NEN 12164:2024 | CW614N-DW4MS list | CW617N-DW4MS list |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead (Pb) | 2.2–3.5 | 2.5–3.5 | 1.6–2.2* |
| Nickel (Ni) | ≤ 0.3 | ≤ 0.2* | ≤ 0.1* |
| Silicon (Si) | not specified | ≤ 0.03 | ≤ 0.03 |
| Other impurities | total ≤ 0.2 | each < 0.02 | each < 0.02 |
| Product groups | — | C and D | B to D |
The asterisk is the list’s own mark for elements “further restricted” compared with the standardised composition; the EU list writes the same restrictions as a condition of use. The marks were not updated for EN 12164:2024: the narrower lead range and the silicon cap of CW614N-DW carry no asterisk, while the starred lead range of CW617N-DW now equals the 2024 range of standard CW617N. Compare each DW value with the current standard directly.
The list accepts compositions, not individual products; under Part C a product is accepted when every metal in it is on the list and it passes the required surface tests. After the first months, when the surface dominates, the long-term metal release of a part is set by the bulk composition of its alloy.
Compositions are grouped into categories that behave alike in drinking water, each with a reference material: a narrow, strictly controlled composition with the elements of concern near their upper limit. A new category is created by testing that reference material in a pipe rig to EN 15664-1 for at least six months, in at least three different drinking waters defined in EN 15664-2; results are judged at weeks 16, 21 and 26 and the test can be extended to one year. A further alloy joins an existing category by a test in the category’s most critical water, or by comparison with the reference material. From week 16 the measured release, scaled by the contact-surface factor of the product group, must stay at or below the reference concentration for every element analysed (lead 5 µg/l, nickel 10 µg/l, copper 1,800 µg/l, zinc 2,700 µg/l), and it must not climb in a way that risks exceeding that concentration after the test. Test pieces sit at the unfavourable end of the declared composition: Cu, Zn and Sn within the declared range, As above 66 % of its range, Al, Si and P below 50 %, every other alloying element above 80 % (a 1.6–2.2 % lead brass is tested above 2.08 % Pb), and analysed impurities above 60 % of their maximum. A national regulator then drafts an opinion, the other members review it, and the composition is listed with its product groups.
Pipes in building installations and uncoated pipelines in water supply.
Fittings and ancillaries in building installations, such as pump, valve and water-meter bodies.
Components of group-B products below 10 % of the wetted surface; fittings and ancillaries in water mains and treatment works with permanent flow.
Components of fittings and ancillaries in water mains and treatment works.
Assumed water-contact surface per product group. A composition accepted for pipes is accepted for every use. On the 24th revision no copper alloy is accepted for group A, only the copper Cu-DHP and tinned Cu-DHP; most copper alloys are accepted for groups B to D, and CW501L-DW, CW614N-DW, CW603N-DW and CW453K for groups C and D only.
The recast Drinking Water Directive (EU) 2020/2184 required European positive lists of authorised starting substances, compositions and constituents. For metals they are set by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2024/367 of 23 January 2024, in force since 13 May 2024 and applying from 31 December 2026, with no amending act so far. ECHA compiled the first lists from, among other things, the national lists notified by 12 July 2021; the Decision never names 4MS, but UBA and RIVM state that the 4MSI documents were used as input.
| 4MS list, 24th revision | EU positive list, Decision 2024/367 |
|---|---|
| 53 copper listings: 45 copper alloys (CW511L-DW in two entries), six coppers and tinned Cu-DHP | 28 of them have an individual entry (EUPL 1644–1674) |
| Leaded brasses CW617N-DW, CW612N-DW, CW614N-DW, CW603N-DW, CW625N-DW, CW626N-DW, CW725R-DW, CC757S, CC770S, CC772S and the leaded gunmetal CC499K | None listed. The only individual entry with lead as an alloying element is the tin bronze CuSn10-C (Pb 0.2–1.0 %) |
| CW511L-DW (listed since 2013; “low lead” entry since 2024) and the newer CW502L-DW, CW503L-DW, CW727R-DW to CW730R-DW, CuZn41Mg, CC761S | Not listed; inclusion requires an application to ECHA under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/369 |
| CW724R-DW, Sn ≤ 0.2 | EUPL 1658, Sn ≤ 0.3 |
| Group D rule: Pb ≤ 3.5 | EUPL 1691: Pb ≤ 1.8, expires 31 December 2031 |
| No copper alloy for pipes | EUPL 1655 CW702R (CuZn20Al2As): product groups A (pipes) and B |
| No expiry dates | Copper entries expire 31 December 2034 (copper-nickel, platings and EUPL 1691: 31 December 2031) |
Transition. Under Article 3, compositions approved under national rules by a Member State competent authority between 13 July 2021 and 31 December 2026 may be used in the manufacture of materials or products until 31 December 2032, provided they comply with the 5 µg/l lead value at the tap. Products whose national conformity certificate is still valid on 31 December 2026 come under the EU conformity-assessment rules only from 31 December 2032.
| Country | Basis | How the list is used |
|---|---|---|
| Germany | TrinkwV 2023 § 15; UBA assessment basis, 9 July 2026 | Its own binding positive list, kept in step with 4MSI and binding since 10 April 2017 (small differences: CW509L-DW Cu 59.0–61.5, the extra grade CW726R-DW). Eleven named entries, the leaded brasses, CC499K, the standard CW511L-DW entry and CW726R-DW, may not be in newly installed products from 12 January 2028. National rules replaced from 31 December 2026, withdrawn 31 December 2032. |
| France | Arrêté of 25 June 2020 | Annex 1 reproduces the 4MS compositions as they stood in 2019–2020; later additions are not in it. The person placing the product on the market holds the composition documentation. Décret n° 2026-80 switches to the EU implementing acts from 1 January 2027. |
| Netherlands | Regeling materialen en chemicaliën drink- en warm tapwatervoorziening | Refers directly to the common approach for metallic materials since 1 July 2017; a product meeting the composition list needs no metal-release test. RIVM: EU rules for new products from 1 January 2027, for existing products with a recognised quality declaration by 1 January 2033 at the latest. |
| United Kingdom | Regulation 31, Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2016 (England) | The Drinking Water Inspectorate tells water companies to use only compositions on the 4MS list for the public supply. Inside buildings the Water Fittings Regulations 1999 apply, with a general no-contamination rule rather than a metal list. No published UK position on the EU lists. |
| Denmark | Danish building-product rules for drinking water | A 4MSI member since 2018, but the Danish rules do not refer to the list; brass products are approved on the basis of migration tests. Status quo until the EU system fully applies on 31 December 2032. |
Name the grade with its DW suffix where the list gives one, for example CW724R-DW or CW510L-DW, together with the product group the part belongs to; “brass, lead-free” tells a mill nothing about which limits apply. For products placed on the EU market from 31 December 2026, check the grade against the EU list as well: CW508L-DW, CW509L-DW, CW510L-DW and the silicon brass CuZn21Si3P (CW724R-DW on the 4MS list, CW724R as EU entry 1658) are on both; the leaded DW grades are on the 4MS list only. Ask for the heat analysis on the EN 10204 3.1 certificate to report every element the list names for the grade, including the asterisked ones, since a certificate shows only the elements that were analysed. The drinking-water approval of the finished product belongs to whoever places it on the market; a listed composition is the starting point, not the approval.
CNC to Ø 150 mm, Swiss-type to ±0.005 mm (Ø 2–32 mm). The DW composition is agreed at ordering, and every shipment carries an EN 10204 3.1 certificate with the heat analysis.
Sources & scope. 4MSI Common Approach for metallic materials, Parts A (4th revision, version 2, 16 July 2021), B (24th revision, 10 August 2026) and C (19 January 2021), as published by the German Environment Agency (UBA); Directive (EU) 2020/2184; Commission Implementing Decisions (EU) 2024/365 and 2024/367; Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/369; the UBA assessment basis for metallic materials (9 July 2026); the French arrêté of 25 June 2020 and décret n° 2026-80; the Dutch Regeling materialen en chemicaliën drink- en warm tapwatervoorziening; DWI Advice Sheet 5; 40 CFR part 143; public previews of EN 12165, EN 12166, EN 12167 and EN 12420:2024. Checked on 1 October 2026. Provided as an engineering reference; the current official texts govern.
Brassland manufactures brass turned parts and CNC machined components to your drawing in Jamnagar, India, including precision turned brass components on 28+ Swiss-type lathes, with an EN 10204 3.1 certificate on every shipment.
Dedicated reference pages with full value tables, diagrams and honest limits — one standard per page.