ISO for “permanent chemicals” in water by EYATH

EYATH has been engaged in a… safari of certifications and accreditations in recent months, spearheaded by ISO 17025 for the monitoring of PFAs in drinking water, also known as “permanent chemicals”.

In particular, the EYATH Laboratory at the Thessaloniki Water Treatment Plant (WTP), which is responsible for the quality control of drinking water, has successfully completed method development and ISO 17025:2017 accreditation for poly- and per-fluorinated compounds (Poly-/Perfluorinated Compounds), the infamous PFAs (constitute a family of more than 9,000 chemical substances, with mainly industrial and cosmetic uses). In fact, as early as 2022, the EYATH Laboratory will carry out checks on the numbers of these micropollutants, taking samples both from the water intake sources and from the urban water supply network and thus monitoring even more parameters in the drinking water. It should be noted, in fact, that the monitoring of PFAs or otherwise “permanent chemicals” based on the new Greek legislation will only become mandatory from the beginning of 2026!

Also, the company, insisting on the supply of drinking water of excellent quality, in the last three years has also established the remote monitoring of its laboratory analyses. The aim is to check the results of the measurements at any time and moment, so that there is a possibility of immediate intervention in cases of emergency, without losing valuable time.

“The excellent quality of our tap water, especially for our Laboratory scientists, is non-negotiable. We are constantly increasing the range of parameters we monitor in the drinking water of the Thessaloniki Urban Planning Complex, even acting in advance from the Greek legislation! Always with our own resources and thanks to our experienced scientific staff. We drink healthy, fresh water from the tap”, points out the managing director of EYATH, Anthimos Amanatidis.

At the same time, especially in ENETH, EYATH is proceeding with the development and adoption of the ISO 14001:2015 system, which defines a process standard for improving the environmental performance of the facility. In particular, ISO 14001:2015 sets the requirements for what the company must do in order to manage the impact of its activities on the environment by improving its performance, reducing incidents of pollution and contributing more broadly to mitigating the effects of the climate crisis.

Also, EYATH is preparing for the process of verifying its carbon footprint by an accredited body in accordance with the ISO 14064-1:2018 standard, as provided by the National Climate Law 4936/2022. The carbon footprint report has previously been updated, which includes energy consumption and other environmental data for the year 2022. The aim, of course, is to reduce the emissions of the company, which has set itself the goal of reducing its carbon footprint by 50% by 2030.

Besides, EYATH is in the inspection process for certification according to ISO 45001:2018, which concerns health and safety at work and aims to identify and manage the relevant risks and opportunities. In addition to employees, this ISO “embraces” customers, suppliers and the general public.

The ISO quality systems allow companies to optimize their performance and expand into new markets, cultivating in their employees a sense of security, environmental protection and customer satisfaction, standards on which EYATH draws its daily operation.