European laboratory for testing in compliance with the Drinking Water Directive (DWD)

To meet industry needs and ensure high testing capacity and rapid turnaround times, Comie laboratory in Italy has developed a department entirely dedicated to migration testing of materials and components intended for contact with drinking water

COMIE laboratory supports manufacturers of components and materials intended for contact with drinking water by carrying out migration and release testing in compliance with European legislation.

Located in Northern Italy near Milan and the Verbano Cusio Ossola tapware industrial district one of the leading European manufacturing hubs in the sector the laboratory, works closely with leading companies producing components for water systems and drinking water distribution networks.

This long standing cooperation has enabled COMIE to develop highly specialised expertise in leaching tests on drinking water contact materials making the laboratory a trusted analytical partner for companies operating at both national and European level.

To meet industry needs and ensure high testing capacity and rapid turnaround times, Comie has developed a department entirely dedicated to migration testing of materials and components intended for contact with drinking water.

Over the years, the laboratory has progressively expanded its testing portfolio, validating and accrediting analytical methods to cover the full set of analyses required under the European Drinking Water Directive framework, including Commission Implementing Decision EU 2024/368.

All activities are carried out in accordance with procedures accredited to UNI CEI EN ISO/IEC 17025, ensuring reliable results and full recognition of analytical data within conformity assessment processes.

The migration testing department is uniquely equipped with a dedicated continuous production system for artificial water used as Test Water 1, 2 and 3, in accordance with UNI EN 15664-2:2010.

The laboratory is also equipped to perform metal release tests on taps in accordance with UNI EN 16058:2012.

These facilities make it possible to:

• ensure controlled and reproducible test conditions
• guarantee high quality and reliable results
• manage complex testing programmes for components intended for the European market

The migration testing department works in close integration with the laboratory’s other analytical departments, enabling all determinations required for release testing to be performed.

The main analyses available include:

• sensory analyses, including TON, Threshold Odour Number, and TFN, Threshold Flavour Number
• colour and turbidity
• TOC, Total Organic Carbon
• metal determination
• EMG

The Comie laboratory can also perform advanced analyses of relevant and unexpected substances using high sensitivity instrumental techniques such as:

• GC-MS, Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry
• LC-MS/MS, Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry
  

This integrated approach enables manufacturers to carry out a comprehensive assessment of substance migration from drinking water contact materials and to demonstrate compliance with European regulatory requirements.