1.

In duly justified circumstances, Member States may provide for derogations from the parametric values set out in Part B of Annex I, or set in accordance with Article 5(3), up to a maximum value to be determined by them, provided that such derogations do not constitute a potential danger to human health and provided that the supply of water intended for human consumption in the area concerned cannot be maintained by any other reasonable means. Such derogations shall be limited to the following: a new catchment area for the abstraction of water intended for human consumption; a new source of pollution detected at the catchment area for the abstraction of water intended for human consumption or parameters newly searched for or detected; or an unforeseen and exceptional situation in an existing catchment area for the abstraction of water intended for human consumption that could lead to temporary limited exceedances of the parametric values. Derogations referred to in the first subparagraph shall be limited to as short a period as possible and shall not exceed three years in duration. Towards the end of the period of the derogation, Member States shall conduct a review to determine whether sufficient progress has been made. In exceptional circumstances, a Member State may grant a second derogation in respect of points (a) and (b) of the first subparagraph. Where a Member State intends to grant such a second derogation, it shall communicate the results of the review, along with the grounds for its decision on the second derogation, to the Commission. Such a second derogation shall not exceed three years in duration.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-10-28 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.