(IFU) document - Drinking Water Inspectorate - Defra

APPROVAL OF PRODUCTS FOR 

USE WITH DRINKING WATER 

ADVICE FOR APPLICANTS 

The approval scheme for products used in 

contact with water intended for human 

consumption 

Advice Sheet 2 

Instructions for Use (IFU) 

DOCUMENT CONTROL 

The only controlled version of this document can be accessed on the DWI Website – 

www.dwi.defra.gov.uk/drinking-water-products.htm. Printed copies of this document, together 

with electronic copies held on local computers and other storage devices are uncontrolled. 

Version 4.9 – June 2012

UNCONTROLLED IF PRINTED 

INTRODUCTION 

This series of advice sheets has been prepared to help applicants understand the approval 

process for chemicals and construction products for use in contact with water intended for 

human consumption, and to explain what information they need to supply to the Drinking 

Water Inspectorate (DWI) in seeking approval. 

The following advice sheets are currently available. 

Number Title 

1 Overview of the application process 

2 Instructions for Use (IFU) document 

3 Treatment chemicals, filter media & ion exchange resins 

4 Changes to approved products 

5 Approval of products made from recognised materials & from metals 

6 Approval of membrane filtration systems & associated equipment 

7 Construction Products for Water Retaining Structures in Water Collection, 

Treatment and Distribution Systems 

8 Regulation 31(4)(b) – The approval and use of products with a small surface area in 

contact with water (including materials for use in well & borehole construction and 

installation) 

9 Emergencies – use of equipment and disinfectants 

10 Natural & traditional products 

AVAILABILITY 

Copies of the most up-to-date versions of these advice sheets can be freely downloaded from 

the DWI website – http://www.dwi.defra.gov.uk/drinking-water-products/advice-andapproval/index.htm 

APPLICATION FORMS 

A series of product type related applications forms are available from the DWI website – 

http://www.dwi.defra.gov.uk/drinking-water-products/advice-and-approval/index.htm 

LABORATORY TEST PROTOCOLS 

A series of product type related laboratory test procedures are available from the DWI website 

–http://www.dwi.defra.gov.uk/drinking-water-products/advice-and-approval/index.htm 

CONTACT 

For further information or help please contact us – 

Regulation 31 Enquiries, Drinking Water Inspectorate 

Area 7e, 9 Millbank, c/o Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR, UK. 

Tel +44 (0)300 068 5029/6403 

E-mail : reg31.enquiries@defra.gsi.gov.uk 

Revision notes: 

Version 2.0 – major revision and additions throughout; Version 2.1 – additional requirements for units of measurement and a new check list for 

applicants; Version 2.2 – amendment to section 3.1; Version 2.3 – clarification on the use of decimal points and thousand “separators” – page 4 

Version 3 – new “introduction” section setting out the basic requirements, new section 5; Version 3.1 – addition of guidance on disinfection 

requirements and a list of useful documents 

Version 4.0 – addition of the new section 3, together with revisions to reflect new approval processes and requirements; Version 4.1 – minor 

amendments throughout, including specifically in 1 and 3 (6); Version 4.2 – addition of specific requirements for in-situ applied products (section 

5.2); Version 4.3 – clarification of acceptable uses of the product (sections 1 & 2, plus Table 4); Version 4.4 – additional requirements for emergency 

equipment (new Table 4, old Table 4 renumbered as “5; Version 4.5 – revision of Section 1”; Version 4.7 – clarification of installation requirements 

in Section 2 and Table 1, coverage of a range of related products (Section 2), revision of Table 5 and new Annex A. V4.8 address change. V4.9 

Correction of legislative references. 

Advice 2 – Instructions for Use Page 2 of 17 Version 4.9 June 2012

CONTENTS 


1 Introduction 5 

2 Content of the IFU 6 

3 Structure of the IFU 7 

4 Delays in processing applications 8 

5 Product specific information 9 

5.1 Stainless steel 9 

5.2 In-situ applied linings for water mains 9 

5.3 Other Products 9 

6 Submission of the IFU 10 

7 Useful reference documents 10 

TABLES 

1 Additional information requirements for general (non-metallic) construction 

products 

2 Additional information requirements for chemicals & treatment agents 12 

3 Additional information requirements for membrane systems (two tables) 13 

4 Additional information requirements for emergency equipment 15 

5 Check list for all Instructions for Use Documents. 16 

11 

ANNEX A Initial evaluation of IFU documents 17 


GENERAL DEFINITIONS (for use with all Advice Sheets) 


The relevant regulations (for public drinking water suppliers) 

The following regulations apply to the approval of substances and products used in the provision of 

public water supplies within the United Kingdom: 

a) England - Regulation 31 of The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2000 (Statutory 

Instruments 2000 No 3184) – 

http://www.dwi.defra.gov.uk/stakeholders/legislation/ws_wqregs2000.pdf 

b) Wales – Regulation 31 of The Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 2010 (Welsh 

Statutory Instrument 2010 No 994 (W.99) – 

http://dwi.defra.gov.uk/stakeholders/legislation/wsr2010wales.pdf 

c) Scotland – Regulation 27 of The Water Supply (Water Quality) (Scotland) Regulations 2001 – 

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/ssi2001/20010207.htm 

d) Northern Ireland – Regulation 30 of The Water Supply (Water Quality) (Amendment) 

Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland 2009 No.246) - 

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/sr/sr2009/nisr_20090246_en_1 

Where reference is required to specific regulatory requirements, these are given in footnotes. 

The Authorities 

Under the relevant regulations water suppliers shall not apply or introduce any substance or product into 

public water supplies unless the requirements of the relevant regulations are met. One of these 

requirements is that the substance or product has been approved by either the Secretary of State for the 

Environment Food and Rural Affairs (England), the Welsh Ministers (Wales), the Northern Ireland 

Assembly (Northern Ireland) or the Scottish Ministers (Scotland) – collectively referred to as “the 

Authorities”. 

The List 

Under the relevant regulations lists of all the substances and products approved or refused, and of 

all approvals revoked or modified are published at least once a year – 

England and Wales –this list is regularly updated by DWI throughout the year, and 

includes details of changes to approved products and additions to the List; the list (the 

List of Products for use in Public Water supply in the United Kingdom) is posted on the 

DWI website: http://dwi.defra.gov.uk/drinking-water-products/approvedproducts/soslistcurrent.pdf 

Reference to “the List” throughout this publication refers to 

the most up-to-date version available from the website. 

Scotland – a list is published annually by the Scottish Government on their website: 

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/ 

Northern Ireland – in due course the Department for Regional Development (Northern 

Ireland) will also publish a list. 

The approval of a product 

Approval is based upon consideration as to whether the use of a substance or product will adversely 

affect the quality of the water supplied, or cause a risk to the health of consumers; no consideration is 

given to fitness for purpose and approval by the Authorities must not be taken as a favourable 

assessment of the performance or merits of any substance or product. It is the responsibility of the end 

user to ensure fitness for purpose. 

The approval process for general products used with water intended for human consumption is set out in 

Advice Sheet 1. Relevant deviations from this process are set out in the appropriate Advice Sheets. 

Water suppliers 

These include water undertakers, inset appointees, and combined licensees - see The Water Act 2003 

(Consequential and Supplementary Provisions) Regulations 2005, together with private water suppliers. 



MANUFACTURER'S OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE (IFU) 

1. INTRODUCTION 

This is a very important document; products are considered, assessed and 

tested on the basis of your IFU and any final approval given makes it a legal 

requirement for the Water Company to adhere to the IFU. 

The IFU should be prepared taking into account the following essential requirements – 

a) It must be specific to the product for which approval is being sought 

b) It must be specific for use of the product with water intended for human consumption 

and written specifically for use by drinking water suppliers in the United Kingdom 

c) It should not refer to requirements in other countries, such as the USA or other EU 

Member States; the UK requirements should always be given, e.g. spelling, units of 

measure, labelling, together with transport, storage and disposal requirements etc. 

d) It must not refer to other uses for the product, including possible use in building water 

systems (apart from in the initial description of the product) 

e) It should provide all the necessary information to the purchaser/end user to enable them 

to use the product 

f) It must be self-contained, controlled dated document with full page numbering, 

together with full contact details 

g) It must not contain any advertising material 

h) It must not contain any company confidential information, or be marked “confidential” 

i) It must not refer to foreign standards – references should be to British Standards 

(including BS EN standards). If equivalent BS EN standards are not available the 

appropriate requirements should be quoted in full. 

In view of the importance of the IFU in the approval process you are 

strongly advised to seek the help of an experienced consultant in preparing 

this document for submission. 

IFUs that do not meet these essential requirements will be rejected as 

unsuitable and returned for revision. 

Remember the IFU is your set of instructions to the purchasers of the product, 

telling them how to install, commission and use your product with water 

intended for human consumption. It should not contain any other additional 

information. 


2. CONTENT OF THE IFU 


To avoid any delay to your application please make sure that your IFU is comprehensive, up to 

date and is based solely on the use of your product by water suppliers in the collection, 

treatment and supply of water intended for human consumption. 

Please submit a MS ® Word electronic copy of your IFU document together with the completed 

application form, to Regulation 31 Enquiries - reg31.enquiries@defra.gsi.gov.uk 

The content of the IFU will vary depending upon the nature of the product and the mode of use. 

As a minimum, however, the document MUST – 

be a formal, comprehensive self-contained document which is identified by title, issue 

number, date of issue and with full contact details (company name, address, telephone etc) 

with each page numbered sequentially. Please note – advertising literature, price lists etc. 

are not acceptable in this document. 

be product specific, but can cover a range of similar products of different dimensions made 

from the same materials/components and method of construction (the use of a generic or 

general purpose technical development manual for a range of products of differing 

composition or construction is NOT acceptable) – for specific guidance contact us 

relate specifically to the use of the product by water suppliers with water intended for 

human consumption and not refer to the use of the product elsewhere, including in building 

water systems 

indicate the proposed use of the product and the scope of this use 

specify the conditions of use which will apply when the product is approved 

units of measurement must be expressed in metric units - other units of measurement, such 

as gallons, pounds, inches and Fahrenheit, can be accepted in names/descriptions of 

products, e.g. (8 inch pressure pipes) or as alternative units, provided that they are 

contained within (brackets) after the metric unit 

include the accepted UK use of a full stop for a decimal point, and a comma as a separator 

for thousands, e.g. 234,000.5 

include details of any special pre-commissioning storage conditions 

describe how the product will be installed 

provide details of cleaning, testing, disinfection and commissioning in accordance with the 

“Principles of Water Supply Hygiene & Technical Guidance Notes” – (see section 7 of this 

Advice Sheet). 

provide details of routine checks on performance in operation 

specify general safe handling procedures and precautions 

disposal of cleaning, disinfection or commissioning chemicals (disposal protocol to be in 

line with Environment Agency policy) 

any other health and safety issues for the operator 

In addition, for Site Applied Products (including in-situ linings), it MUST – 

indicate methods of surface preparation 

include details of the use of primers and undercoats (if any), together with the relevant 

application details and curing conditions for these 

include details of the mixing process, including mixing ratios and how the mixing is 

undertaken (including for each layer of the complete coating systems) 

include details of the application process 

give details of curing conditions including cure period and temperature/cure curve 

include details of any known incompatibilities with potential substrates onto which the 

product could be applied 

include details of how repairs can be undertaken 

Additional product type specific information that must be included is given in Tables 1 to 4. 

Table 5 provides a checklist to help you in preparing your document. 


3. STRUCTURE OF THE IFU 


The text of the IFU should be set out in headed sections that reflect the sequence the user needs 

to follow in order to understand the proposed use of the product, its introduction into use, 

continuing operation and safeguards for drinking water quality, personal safety and avoiding 

harm to the environment. You are encouraged to set out the guidance in a logical sequence 

making use of headings and sub-headings, and using schematic drawings and photographs 

when these will help the user. 

An indicative structure is given below that will enable you to include all the elements set out in 

section 2 above and Tables 1 to 4 of this guidance, as appropriate for the product. It is 

emphasised that this guidance cannot be prescriptive due to the diversity of products and their 

uses. 

1. Description of the product 

Describe what the product is, including physical and chemical parameters. 

2. Description of product use 

Describe what the product is used for, including the scope and restrictions on use by drinking water 

suppliers 1 . 

3. Product Application 

Describe how the product is used. It will probably help the user if this section is set out with sub-sections 

which may include product packaging and delivery, assembly, component mixing, application methods, 

curing etc. 

If the product can only be applied or installed by specific contractors, this requirement will be included as a 

condition of approval. All contractors working on public drinking water suppliers sites or on behalf of them 

should have a valid National Water Hygiene Scheme ID card. The IFU should state such requirements and 

must also be complete in all other aspects to ensure that the water supplier can be assured that the product is 

applied/installed in accordance with the approval conditions. 

In addition, if the product will only be used by a private drinking water supplier, under the requirements of 

Regulation 5 of the Private Water Supply Regulations, this should be clearly stated in the IFU. 

4. Commissioning and/or preparing a product for use, including disinfection 

This will include instructions on any cleaning, flushing and disinfection routines, together with any checks 

and tests to ensure the product is fit to be put into use. As chlorine is commonly used for disinfection it is 

important that you describe any conditions on the maximum allowable exposure of the product to chlorine 

both by concentration and contact time. 

5. Operational Routines 

Any routine monitoring, performance checks and routine maintenance should be described. A detailed 

maintenance manual is not required but attention should be drawn to routine measures that need to be taken 

to ensure the satisfactory and effective use of the product. Procedures for the stopping and re-starting of 

product use should be included. 

6. Storage 

Conditions for product storage together with its shelf life should be described. 

7. Disposal of waste and spillage 

Instruction on the safe disposal of spillage and excess product should be given, taking into account the safety 

of personnel and avoidance of harm to the environment. 

1 including private water suppliers under the relevant regulations, e.g. Regulation 5 of the Private Water Supply Regulations 

2009 in England 


4. DELAYS IN PROCESSING APPLICATIONS 


Poorly written or badly presented IFU documents are the major causes of delays in processing 

applications. Normally a product will not be considered by DWI for approval under the 

relevant regulations without a satisfactory IFU, and usually DWI will not agree to the release 

of any appropriate test requirements until they are completely satisfied with the IFU. 

Before you submit an IFU to DWI in support of an application make sure that it meets all 

of the requirements set out in Section 1 and, if appropriate, Tables 1 to 3; use Table 5 to 

help you ensure that your IFU meets our minimum requirements. 

NOTE: Annex A contains the check list we will use in the general review of your IFU – do 

check to ensure your IFU will meets these requirements BEFORE you submit it to us. 

After a successful outcome from this initial evaluation a further technical evaluation is 

undertaken. 

Make sure that your IFU is technically adequate and clearly written. 

Unfortunately neither the DWI nor its expert advisors can provide consultancy and help in 

preparing IFU documents, or in resolving issues relating to them. 

Final approval of your product, once any testing required has been completed, will always be 

dependent upon the prior receipt of a satisfactory IFU. 


5. PRODUCT SPECIFIC INFORMATION 


5.1 Stainless steel 

If you wish to seek approval for stainless steel products you must provide an Instructions for 

Use document identified by title, issue number, date of issue and with full contact details 

(company name, address, telephone etc), and stating that your product should be used in 

accordance with the British Stainless Steel Association’s "Operational Guidance and Code of 

Practice for Stainless Steel Products in Drinking Water Supply" – available from the BSSA 

Website - http://www.bssa.org.uk/publications.phpid=25 . For further guidance see Section 

3.2 of Advice Sheet 5 

5.2 In-situ applied linings for water mains 

In-situ applied products must be applied in accordance with strict operational requirements as 

documented in the Water Industry Information & Guidance Note IGN 4-02-02 "Code of 

Practice: In-situ resin lining of water mains” and the Water Industry Specification WIS 4-02-01 

“Operational Requirements: In situ resin lining of water mains"– both available from 

http://www.water.org.uk/home/member-services/wis-and-ign/current-documents. These 

documents refer to specific information that has to be included in the product Instructions for 

Use, e.g. – 

temperature parameters for components and rig, need for a heated umbilical cord, 

cleaning solvent(s) for rig and associated components, preconditioning procedures for 

transferring resin components at start and during lining, 

minimum cure times before CCTV inspection and before return to service 

5.3 Other Products 

If you are submitting any of the product types listed in the following tables (1 to 4), make 

sure your IFU includes the additional information requested. 


6. SUBMISSION OF THE IFU 


It is a requirement that the Instructions for Use document(s) is submitted electronically to the 

Inspectorate in MS Word ® or “rich text” format. 

If your IFU is not available electronically, you should discuss this with DWI BEFORE 

submitting it to – 

Regulation 31 Enquiries, Drinking Water Inspectorate, 

Area 7e, 9 Millbank, c/o Nobel House, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR. 

Tel: +44 (0)300 068 5029/6403 

E-mail: reg31.enquiries@defra.gsi.gov.uk 

7. USEFUL REFERENCE DOCUMENTS 

Civil Engineering Specification for the Water Industry (2004: 6 th Edition) – published by WRc 

plc on behalf of UK Water Industry Research Ltd; ISBN 1 898920 51 6. 

Principles of Water Supply Hygiene & Technical Guidance Notes – Published by Water UK 

and available from – http://www.water.org.uk 



TABLE 1. IFU – Additional information requirements for general (non-metallic) 

construction products. 

Product 

Pipes 

Tanks, 

reservoirs 

& pressure 

vessels 

Linings and 

coatings 

Additional information required 

- physical dimensions of the product range (using the same materials and 

methods of manufacture) for which approval is sought 

- storage conditions, including: 

maximum storage heights 

lifting and unloading 

packaging 

the use of end caps 

- installation instructions, including: 

laying 

bending 

jointing – mechanical, solvent welding, heat welding etc 

- pre-commissioning testing 

- commissioning instructions, including cleaning and disinfection 

- for lined pipe, instructions for repair of small defects prior to installation, and 

instructions for making good at joints and following future repairs. 

- any guidance needed concerning water types for which the pipes are suitable 

- physical dimensions and volumes of the product range (using the same 

materials and methods of manufacture) for which approval is sought 

- storage conditions, including: 

maximum storage heights 

lifting and unloading 

packaging 

- installation and assembly instructions including details of all ancillary 

equipment and components, e.g. : 

ladders, roof stays, access points 

jointing and sealing compounds used in assembly 

- pre-commissioning testing 

- commissioning instructions, including cleaning and disinfection 

- surface preparation, 

- use of primers and undercoats etc (if any) 

- packaging and identification of multi-component parts, including colour of 

each part and the finished lining/coating 

- details of the application process including- 

minimum temperature of application 

any environmental controls and humidity restrictions 

use of primers and undercoats 

- instructions for preparation of the product by the user including mixing 

proportions and pot life 

- curing conditions (period and temperature cure curve) when applicable 



TABLE 2. IFU – Additional information requirements for chemicals & treatment agents. 

Product 

General 

requirements 

Chemicals 

Disinfectant & 

cleaning agents 

for water works 

apparatus & 

distribution 

systems 

Adsorbents, filter 

media, & ion 

exchange resins 

Electrochemical 

generating 

processes 

Additional information required 

- packaging and method of delivery 

- method of control of dosing 

- test method to determine chemical/dose strength 

- dealing with spillage and safe disposal of surplus product 

- routine monitoring of dose strength 

- storage conditions and timescale 

- any preparation before usage (e.g. dilution) and details of all 

commissioning procedures undertaken by the end user 

- the maximum and maintenance dosage rate 

- methods and point of dosing 

- disposal conditions 

- any preparation prior to usage (e.g. dilution) and details of all 

commissioning procedures undertaken by the end user 

- procedures to be adopted before the treated apparatus is returned to service 

(e.g. flushing) 

- the maximum and maintenance dosage 

- methods and point of dosing and method of monitoring the concentration in 

the water 

- disposal of waste product or water contaminated with the product 

- any restrictions on the use of the product which ensure that water supply 

does not become contaminated with the product 

- type of resin 

- details of media size, depth, capacity etc… 

- preparation of the filter bed 

- bed volume 

- bed conditioning procedures (flow rates, pH stabilization) 

- procedures for regeneration of the product 

- precautions to be taken during regeneration and re-commissioning 

- expected life-in-use 

- storage conditions 

- disposal of waste product (disposal protocol to be in line with Environment 

Agency policy) 

- all operational details, including full details of chemicals used 

- expected life of the generated product 

- disposal of waste products (disposal protocol to be in line with the 

Environment Agency policy) 



TABLE 3. IFU – Additional information requirements for membrane systems. 

NOTE : labelled diagrams and photographs showing the construction of an element and a 

typical array of elements will help DWI understand how the system will be used. It is not 

desirable or necessary for applicants to provide DWI with a complete set of operating manuals 

for a filtration system. However, it may be appropriate to include abstracts from these manuals 

together with other information that will enable the end user to quickly assemble the product 

and operate it effectively. 

Table 3.1. Product Description 

Attribute 

Description of filter 

type 

Proposed use 

Preservation during 

delivery and storage 

Detailed requirements 

- filtration range, e.g. – 

microfiltration – pore size 0.05 to 10m 

ultrafiltration – pore size 2 to 100nm 

nanofiltration – pore size 0.5 to 2nm 

reverse osmosis 

- detailed explanation of the water type for which the unit has been 

designed, e.g. brackish, partially treated etc., together with a statement 

about the suitability of the system for use with chlorinated water 

- details of the preserving system(s) used 



TABLE 3.2. Product installation, commissioning and use 

Stage 

Detail 

Installation 

- indicate the point of installation, including whether up-stream or 

down-stream of final chlorination point etc. 

Commissioning - the commissioning instructions should include – 

die-away curves which demonstrate the volume of water and 

rinsing times required to completely remove any traces of 

preserving fluids from the unit 

a means of verifying under plant conditions that removal of 

these fluids has been effectively carried out 

instructions for the safe disposal of these fluids 

Operation 

- operating pressure 

- typical flow rates (including minimum and maximum values) 

Backwashing and/or - typical volume of water treated before the membrane is taken out of 

cleaning 

service for cleaning 

- cleaning instructions should include (as appropriate) – 

details explaining when cleaning is required 

information about any cleaning chemicals used 

the procedures for removing cleaning agents before the unit is 

put back into supply 

the volume of raw or treated water to be used in backwashing 

and cleaning 

die-away curves for the removal of cleaning/disinfecting 

agents 

a means of verifying that under plant conditions removal of 

these agents has been effectively carried out 

instructions on the safe disposal of the dilute cleaning agent(s) 

- details of any on-line dosing of chemicals (e.g. descalants) and 

evidence of their removal 

Life of the membrane - typical life (volume of water treated, time etc.) before replacement is 

needed 

Safety 

Disposal of 

wastewater 

- detailed handling and operating instructions 

- how this will be achieved in service 



TABLE 4. IFU – Additional information requirements for emergency equipment 

NOTE : a wide range of product types will be covered under this category. Only general 

guidance on requirements for the IFU can be given therefore; further detailed advice can 

be obtained from the Regulation 31 enquiries team. 

Attribute 

Description of 

product 

Cleaning &/or 

sterilisation before 

use 

Deployment 

One-use products 

Multi-use products 

Detailed requirements 

- nature of the product 

- proposed use 

- any critical storage requirements, including prevention of 

contamination 

- assessment of status before deployment, including state of packaging 

and any tamperproof seals etc 

- pre-cleaning 

- details of all procedures to be used 

- details of any assessment or test requirements before use, e.g. odour 

and flavour assessment, microbiological surface counts 

- how the equipment will be used, including details of all associated 

ancillary equipment required, whether provided with the product, or 

obtained locally, any specific labelling requirements, and length of 

service before redisinfection is necessary 

- how the product will be assembled, if appropriate, and tested before 

use 

- appropriate reference to Regulation 6(3) of the Water Supply (Water 

Quality) Regulations 2000, and how the requirements of this will be 

met in use. 

- specific instructions that the product must not be re-used 

- instructions on disposal/recycling of the used product 

- relevant post-use cleaning and storage requirements 

- relevant commission requirements before re-use 



TABLE 5. Check list for all Instructions for Use Documents. 

Please ensure that your Instructions for Use documents conforms with the following 

requirements – 

Has your company name and product name on it 

Is specific to the product (or range of related products 2 ) for which approval is sought, and 

not cover other products 

Is written in fluent English 

Has a version/issue number and date of issue 

Has each page numbered sequentially out of a total number of pages 

Is written specifically for water suppliers and exclusively for use with drinking water* 

Uses metric units for all measurements, other than in product names/descriptions, unless 

contained within brackets 

Includes all pre-commission conditions, including storage and handling 

Includes instructions on the disposal of waste substances (where appropriate) 

Includes all the relevant information specified in this Advice Sheet 

It must not contain any of the following information – 

advertising copy/literature, or manufacturers claims about the effectiveness of the 

product 

reference to or claims of "DWI approval" 

company confidential information, or be marked as “confidential” 

*Notes – your IFU must not - 

refer to use in water systems within buildings; this use is not within the requirements of 

the Water Supply (Water Quality) Regulations 

cover use with waste water 

be written for the "domestic market" – it must be written solely for use by drinking 

water suppliers 

refer to foreign standards – references should be to British Standards (including BS EN 

standards). If equivalent BS EN standards are not available the appropriate 

requirements should be quoted in full. 

If you fail to meet the basic requirements set out above, you will be asked to revise 

your Instructions for Use document and your application will be delayed until a 

satisfactory document is received. 

Annex A includes the question list we will use in the initial evaluation of your IFU. 

2 Differing only in dimensions or configuration, with no differences in composition or construction. 



ANNEX A – INITIAL EVALUATION OF IFU DOCUMENTS 

A.1 Introduction 

After we have received your IFU we will carry out an evaluation of it. The first criteria to be 

considered, before any product specific ones, are set out in the table below. It is in your 

interest to ensure that all the relevant criteria set out in this table are adequately addressed in 

your IFU; failure to ensure this will delay the progress of your application. 

Criterion 

Does the IFU contain sufficient details of product application, curing and commissioning 

to enable the test conditions to be specified 

Is the product restricted to contact with chlorine-free water 

Does the IFU contain sufficient information to enable the application to proceed 

Evaluation 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na 

Is the IFU fully identified, pagenated and referenced, and free from advertising material 

Is the IFU free from reference to “DWI Approval” and to a specific DWI reference number 

Is the IFU specific to the product for which the application is made 

Is the IFU specifically for use by Water Companies and licensees, and their contractors 

Are the proposed uses and scope of use identified 

Are the conditions of use given and are they unambiguous 

Are units of measurement metric and are they unambiguous 

Are adequate packaging and storage conditions given 

Are safe handling procedures included 

Are adequate pre-commissioning conditions specified 

Are adequate instructions for cleaning given 

Are adequate instructions for testing (both pre- and in-service) given 

Are adequate and unambiguous commissioning instructions given 

Are appropriate in-service checks fully detailed 

Are adequate instructions included for the disposal of used/waste product 

Are there any Health and Safety issues of concern 

na = not applicable 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na 

Yes/No/na

(IFU) document - Drinking Water Inspectorate - Defra

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