Law no. 46/I of 2023 on the Quality of Water for Human Consumption.

This Law, consisting of 38 articles, concerns the quality of water for human consumption, provides for harmonising the Cyprus Legislation with the European Directive (EU) 2020/2184 of the European Parliament and of the Council, concerning the quality of water for human consumption, and applies to water intended for drinking, cooking, food preparation or other domestic uses in both public and private establishments, and water used in any food business for the manufacture, processing, preservation or marketing of products or substances intended for human consumption, excluding: natural mineral water, water used as a medicinal product. The Law defines the following relevant terms: water supply chain; competent authority, as the director of the Department of Medical and Public Health Services of the Ministry of Health; starting substance, as a substance intentionally added in the production of organic materials; vessels, used for collecting, storing, transporting and distributing water for human consumption; dangerous event; food business; vulnerable and marginalised group; hazard; water distribution system.
The Law provides for the establishment of a Council for the safety of water for human consumption, and the description of its duties and powers, including: establishing procedures for effective and efficient cooperation, coordination and continuous exchange of information between the governmental departments and the public sector, carrying out supervisory controls, submitting proposals to the Minister of Health for individual actions and for taking the necessary corrective measures, development and implementation of education and training programs, informing the public in case of danger or disaster.
Further matters covered by this Law include: provision of healthy and clean water and minimum parameters to be observed; risk assessment and risk management for each water supply system, including water abstraction, treatment, storage and distribution; identification and mapping of watershed and catchment areas; description of land uses in catchment areas for water abstraction points; monitoring of relevant pollutant substances on the basis of selected parameters, and potential risks to human health; measures for preventing and mitigating hazards identified in the water supply system, through disinfection and filtration processes; risk assessment of home system distribution; minimum requirements for chemical treatments; powers and duties of inspectors; use restrictions in case of any failure to observe the parametric values; imposition of fees and charges by the Health Service for water consumption; offences, penalties and administrative fines. Attachments include: minimum requirements for microbiological and chemical parameters to evaluate water quality, including presence of pesticides; general objectives and monitoring programmes for water for human consumption.