[The drinking water ordinance--successful or requiring revision?].

The current regulatory approach in Germany combines regulations defined in the Drinking Water Ordinance with a comprehensive catalogue of technical rules as well as with guidelines and recommendations by the Federal Environment Agency and the Drinking Water Commission. This approach has proven successful in practice. Some parts would benefit from revision. The regulator is currently contemplating some revision in order to take experience of federal, state and local authorities as well as of water suppliers with implementation of the current Ordinance into account. The intention is improvement particularly towards reducing bureaucracy without compromising the current high level of public health protection through drinking water hygiene in Germany.