oSIST prEN 12904:2026

• Abstract:

  This document is applicable to silica sand and silica gravel used for treatment of water intended for human consumption. It describes the characteristics of silica sand and silica gravel and specifies the requirements and the corresponding test methods for silica sand and silica gravel. It gives information on their use in water treatment.

• Status: Not Published
• Public Enquiry End Date: 24-Dec-2026
• ICS: 13.060.20 - Drinking water
• ICS: 71.100.80 - Chemicals for purification of water
• Technical Committee: IOVO - Water supply and waste water engineering
• Current Stage: 4020 - Public enquire (PE) (Adopted Project)
• Start Date: 26-Oct-2026
• Due Date: 15-Mar-2027
• Directive: 305/2011 - Regulation (eu) No 305/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 march 2011 laying down harmonised conditions for the marketing of construction products and repealing council directive 89/106/eec
• Ref Project: prEN 12904 - Products used for treatment of water intended for human consumption - Silica sand and silica gravel

• Revised: SIST EN 12904:2005 - Products used for treatment of water intended for human consumption - Silica sand and silica gravel
• Effective Date: 19-Jan-2023

oSIST prEN 12904:2026 is the Slovenian draft version of prEN 12904, a CEN European Standard for silica sand and silica gravel used in treatment of water intended for human consumption. It specifies the material characteristics, requirements and test methods for these filter and support media, and gives information on how they are used in water treatment.

This document is currently a draft submitted to CEN enquiry, and if adopted it will supersede EN 12904:2005. It is mainly useful for suppliers, laboratories, water-treatment operators and buyers who need a common basis for specifying, testing and marking the product.

What does oSIST prEN 12904:2026 specify?

oSIST prEN 12904:2026 applies to silica sand and silica gravel used for treatment of water intended for human consumption. The document covers description, physical properties, chemical properties, test methods, and labelling, transportation and storage.

The structure is straightforward:

• Clauses 1-3 set the scope, normative references, and terms and definitions.
• Clauses 4-6 describe the material and its required properties.
• Clause 7 covers sampling and analysis.
• Clause 8 covers delivery, marking and storage.
• Annex A is informative and gives general background and practical use information.

Annex	What it covers
Annex A	General information on silica sand and silica gravel, including origin, typical properties, use, hydraulic characteristics, handling and emergency advice

What are the key requirements of oSIST prEN 12904:2026?

oSIST prEN 12904:2026 focuses on grading, purity, test method control and traceable delivery. In practice, the standard helps users compare product batches and check whether a supplied media is suitable for a water-treatment filter.

• Clause 4 - identification and commercial forms: The material is identified as silica, silicon dioxide (SiO2), sold as silica sand or silica gravel in different particle size ranges. This matters because suppliers need to name the product consistently in technical documents and delivery papers.
• Clause 5.2 - particle size distribution: The media must be described either by effective size, uniformity coefficient and minimum size, or by a declared particle size range with limits on oversize and undersize fractions. This is important because filter performance depends on how uniform and how well-graded the grains are.
• Clause 5.3 - density: The document sets requirements for loose and packed bulk density. These values are used when sizing transport, filling filters and comparing product consistency.
• Clause 6 - chemical properties: Table 1 sets purity requirements by type, including minimum SiO2 content and maximum acid-soluble material. The clause also requires notification if other impurities, by-products or additives are present in significant amounts, because that information affects suitability and regulatory review.
• Clause 7 - sampling and analysis: Sampling for conformity assessment must be done at the production site, and the test methods are taken from EN 12902. Samples taken after delivery or from a filter are not valid for conformity assessment because handling can change the material.
• Clause 8 - delivery, marking and storage: The product may be delivered in bags, big bags or in bulk, but the means of delivery must not contaminate it. Marking must identify the product and state conformity to EN 12904, and storage must keep the product dry and clean, protected from sunlight and UV radiation.
• Clause 8.2 and 8.3 - safety and transport status: The document states that the material is not subject to labelling regulations at publication and is not classified as dangerous goods. That simplifies logistics, while national rules may still apply.

What terms does oSIST prEN 12904:2026 define?

The document uses the terms and definitions from EN 12901, so the key vocabulary is shared with the wider family of inorganic supporting and filtering materials.

• Silica sand - silica-based granular material used as a filter or support medium.
• Silica gravel - coarser silica-based granular material used in similar water-treatment roles.
• Effective size - a grading descriptor used to characterize particle size distribution.
• Uniformity coefficient - a grading parameter that shows how evenly sized the particles are.
• Support layer - a layer of media that supports other filter layers in a filter bed.
• Multi-media filter - a filter that uses more than one media layer.
• Bulk density loose / packed - the mass per unit volume measured in loose or compacted condition, used for logistics and design.
• Acid-soluble material - the portion that dissolves in acid and is used as an impurity indicator.

Who uses oSIST prEN 12904:2026?

oSIST prEN 12904:2026 is used by water-treatment engineers, filter designers, plant operators, media suppliers, laboratories and quality managers. It also helps buyers and specification writers when they need to request a defined grade, check test results, or confirm that delivery and marking match the ordered material.

The standard is relevant in drinking-water treatment, especially for filtration systems using silica sand or silica gravel as filtering or supporting materials.

What changed in oSIST prEN 12904:2026 from the previous edition?

This draft will supersede EN 12904:2005. The foreword states two significant updates:

• the reference to the EU Directive has been updated to the current directive in force;
• the reference to the European regulation on classification, labelling and packaging has been updated to reflect the current CLP and REACH framework.

Which standards are used with oSIST prEN 12904:2026?

• EN 12901 - provides the terms, definitions and symbols used throughout the document.
• EN 12902 - provides the sampling and test methods used for particle size distribution, density, silica content and acid-soluble material.

What does the oSIST prEN 12904:2026 document contain?

The document contains the material description, property requirements, and the test and sampling provisions needed for conformity assessment. It also includes a composition table in Clause 6 and practical guidance on delivery, marking and storage in Clause 8.

Annex A adds background information that is useful for design and operation: origin and production routes, typical accessory constituents, particle size examples, density ranges, hydraulic characteristics, and handling and emergency advice. This makes the standard useful not only for acceptance testing, but also for selecting the media and understanding how it behaves in service.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-december-2026
Proizvodi, ki se uporabljajo za pripravo pitne vode - Kremenov pesek in kremenov
prod
Products used for treatment of water intended for human consumption - Silica sand and
silica gravel
Produkte zur Aufbereitung von Wasser für den menschlichen Gebrauch - Quarzsand und
Quarzkies
Produits utilisés pour le traitement de l'eau destinée à la consommation humaine - Sable
et gravier de quartz
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 12904
ICS:
13.060.20 Pitna voda Drinking water
71.100.80 Kemikalije za čiščenje vode Chemicals for purification of
water
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
October 2026
ICS Will supersede EN 12904:2005
English Version
Products used for treatment of water intended for human
consumption - Silica sand and silica gravel
Produits utilisés pour le traitement de l'eau destinée à Produkte zur Aufbereitung von Wasser für den
la consommation humaine - Sable et gravier de quartz menschlichen Gebrauch - Quarzsand und Quarzkies
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 164.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.

This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.

Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.

EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 12904:2026 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3
Introduction . 4
1 Scope . 5
2 Normative references . 5
3 Terms, definitions and symbols . 5
4 Description . 5
4.1 Identification . 5
4.1.1 Chemical name(s) . 5
4.1.2 Synonym or common names . 5
4.2 Commercial forms . 5
5 Physical properties . 5
5.1 Appearance . 5
5.2 Particle size distribution . 6
5.3 Density . 6
5.3.1 Bulk density loose . 6
5.3.2 Bulk density packed . 6
6 Chemical properties . 6
7 Test methods . 7
7.1 Sampling . 7
7.2 Analysis . 7
7.2.1 Particle size distribution . 7
7.2.2 Bulk density loose . 7
7.2.3 Bulk density packed . 7
7.2.4 Content of silica . 7
7.2.5 Acid-soluble material . 7
8 Labelling, transportation and storage. 8
8.1 Means of delivery . 8
8.2 Risk and safety labelling . 8
8.3 Transportation regulations and labelling . 8
8.4 Marking . 8
8.5 Storage — Long term chemical stability . 8
Annex A (informative) General information on silica sand and silica gravel . 9
Bibliography . 13

European foreword
This document (prEN 12904:2026) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 164 “Water
supply”, the secretariat of which is held by AFNOR.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 12904:2005.
a) Update the reference to EU Directive in order to take account of the last Directive in force (see [1]).
b) Update the Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on
classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, amending and repealing
Directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC, and amending Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH).
This document has been prepared under a standardization request addressed to CEN by the European
Commission. The Standing Committee of the EFTA States subsequently approves these requests for its
Member States.
Introduction
In respect of potential adverse effects on the quality of water intended for human consumption, caused
by the product covered by this document:
a) This document provides no information as to whether the product may be used without restriction
in any of the Member States of the EU or EFTA;
b) It should be noted that, while awaiting the adoption of verifiable European criteria, existing national
regulations concerning the use and/or the characteristics of this product remain in force.
NOTE Conformity with the document does not confer or imply acceptance or approval of the product in any
of the Member States of the EU or EFTA. The use of the product covered by this document is subject to regulation
or control by National Authorities.
1 Scope
This document is applicable to silica sand and silica gravel used for treatment of water intended for
human consumption. It describes the characteristics of silica sand and silica gravel and specifies the
requirements and the corresponding test methods for silica sand and silica gravel. It gives information
on their use in water treatment.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 12901, Products used for treatment of water intended for human consumption - Inorganic supporting
and filtering materials - Definitions
EN 12902, Products used for treatment of water intended for human consumption - Inorganic supporting
and filtering materials - Methods of test
3 Terms, definitions and symbols
For the purpose of this document, the terms, definitions and symbols given in EN 12901 apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp/
— IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
4 Description
4.1 Identification
4.1.1 Chemical name(s)
Silica, silicon dioxide (SiO ).
4.1.2 Synonym or common names
Silica sand and silica gravel.
4.2 Commercial forms
Silica sand and silica gravel according to this documen
...