What do O-rings, membranes and drinking water have in common? All are at the centre of new legal requirements for drinking water hygiene, which will become mandatory from mid-2026. In his talk at ISH 2025, Christian Golbert from the Angst+Pfister Group explains what exactly is changing – and what that means for the industry.
The new regulations, laid down in the Assessment Basis for Plastics and Other Organic Materials in Contact with Drinking Water (KTW-BWGL), bring extensive changes for manufacturers and users of elastomers. Christian Golbert explains why elastomers are so difficult to standardise, what challenges arise from their complex formulation – and why not all EPDM is the same.
It becomes clear that not only material selection and design, but also chemical resistance, hygienic design, and regulatory compliance must go hand in hand. Golbert offers insight into the background, outlines paths towards the transition to compliant materials, and explains how his company is already positioned for the future with a newly developed compound. A talk with depth – for everyone responsible for drinking water products.
Christian Golbert...
...is Product Leader Sealing Materials at Angst+Pfister. As an expert in elastomer technology, he is responsible for the development, testing, and serial release of complex material solutions for highly regulated industries such as the drinking water and food sector.
This lecture was supported by VDMA Sanitärtechnik und -design.
