Water Regulations Compliance

Water Regulations in accordance with the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999

We are extremely proud to be WIAPS approved plumbing contractors following our qualifications for the WATER SAFE scheme in conjunction with WRAS.

The purpose of WRAS is to contribute to the protection of public health by preventing contamination of public water supplies and encouraging the efficient use of water by promoting and facilitating compliance with the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations and Byelaws in Scotland. 

We are pleased to announce that we have been added to the WaterSafe local approved plumbing Scheme (WIAPS). This means we can now help you achieve full compliance on your premises to your local water authority standards. If you are not familiar with this scheme please follow the link to find how it affects you.

TO FIND OUT THIS AFFECTS YOU CLICK HERE

We have recently completed a project at a local steel manufacturer who after a site visit from Yorkshire water was faced with a site closure notice if the work required was not carried out within 28 days. They were given a list of 48 non-compliance areas on site but after a further survey it was found that they had 122 defects. These included cross contamination of water to machines and mains water. Chemical top up hoses being left in tanks which were directly connected to the mains, old corroded pipework, redundant pipework and open drinking water storage tanks.

This was a massive task for anyone to achieve during standard shutdowns but we had to get this done during normal working hours on a 24 hour site. The plan was put together with the customers site management on how we could do this without affecting their production. From start to finish we managed to get all the work done within three weeks. This include the supply and installation of water booster sets, backflow prevention systems and new pipework runs.

Upon completion of the work the site was re-surveyed to check compliance and the comments from the reporting engineer was that we “had gone above and beyond the work expected to the highest quality levels that he had seen”. He was very impressed that we had also managed the works causing minimal disruption and “would recommend us to any future site he would visit”. The customer was also very happy and we have now carried out surveys at the rest of their sites to bring them into line with their local authorities.

If your site needs bringing upto compliance we can arrange a site visit to discuss this and how we can help you achieve this before you get an unexpected visit from your local water authority and the possibility of a site closure.

WRAS is a subscription membership company limited by guarantee and was incorporated on 4 August 2008. The subscribers of WRAS are the 26 UK Water Suppliers.

It has four core objectives:

1.  To raise awareness and understanding of the Water Fittings Regulations*, through marketing and communications, advice, consultation, education and professional development.

2. To provide approval scheme, processes and guidance to enable organisations and individuals to demonstrate compliance with the Water Fittings Regulations*.

3. To provide cost effective support to water companies by providing guidance to enable consistent interpretation and enforcement of the Water Fittings Regulations*.

4.  To represent the UK water supply industry as one voice on the Water Fittings Regulations and contribute to the development of relevant guidance, codes of practice and standards.

In this section you can find information about the WRAS team, WRAS Board and WRAS committees. In the resources section you can find copies of the WRAS annual reports, WRAS business plan and the company articles

*'Water Fittings Regulations’ refers to The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 and The Water Supply (Water Fittings) (Scotland) Byelaws 2014.

Notification campaign launch

WRAS, the UK’s leading water regulations body, is urging anyone planning plumbing work to make sure they know the ‘water law’ before they start. Many water companies are supporting the initiative with localised campaigns.

In many cases, work on new and existing plumbing systems, and some types of water installations, needs to be notified to, and approved by, the local water supplier before it can begin. This is to make sure it meets the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations and Byelaws that are designed to keep drinking water supplies safe and healthy.

The warning doesn’t just apply to plumbers either – businesses, homeowners, landlords and tenants all need to follow the regulations too. The regulations apply to many types of domestic and commercial plumbing – from building new houses or extending business premises to everyday work such as installing certain types of bidets or large baths.

Julie Spinks, Managing Director of WRAS, said: “The UK enjoys high-quality, safe drinking water and we want to make sure it stays that way.

“Unfortunately very few people are aware of their legal responsibilities to ensure certain types of plumbing work comply with these important regulations.

“Getting permission is quick and free, but failure to notify your local water supplier could result in extra cost to put poor plumbing right or, worse, contamination of water supplies and a court prosecution.

“Our message is simple – if you are planning some plumbing installation work, take a few minutes to seek professional advice from your local water supplier, the WRAS or an WaterSafe approved plumber who is familiar with the regulations.”

The notification and consent process takes up to 10 days and there is no charge for the service. In many cases, the water supplier will simply need a description of the planned work and the contact details of those undertaking it.

Types of plumbing work that must be notified to water suppliers include:

• Building a house or other property/structure
• Extending or altering the water system on a non-household building
• Changing the use of a building or installing water systems, such as rainwater harvesting
• Installing a swimming pool or pond over 10,000 litres
• A garden watering system (unless operated by hand)
• A bath which holds more than 230 litres of water
• A bidet with an upward spray or flexible hose
• A pump or booster that delivers more than 12 litres of water per minute
• A reverse osmosis unit (for cleaning water)
• A water treatment unit which produces waste water
• A reduced pressure zone (RPZ) valve assembly or similar
• Any water system outside a building that is either less than 750mm (0.75 metres) or more than 1350mm (1.35 metres) below ground.

This list is not exhaustive and there are extra requirements in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Approved plumbers – ones already trained to meet the strict regulations for installing pipes and fittings which supply drinking water – are able to carry out some types of work without prior notification.