Do you know the water rules?

Jonathan Samuel, managing director of Water Regs UK, has a reminder about The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations and Byelaws. This article appears in the January-February issue of Registered Gas Engineer magazine.

The regulations are designed to prevent contamination, waste and misuse and apply to all fittings connected to a public water supply, including pipes, valves, taps, cisterns and appliances. It’s a legal requirement to make sure our water supplies remain safe to drink.

While 99.97% of water supplied in England and Wales in 2024 met quality standards, and 99.92% in Scotland, in some cases almost half the samples that failed were linked to poor plumbing, such as incorrectly fitted appliances or non-compliant fittings.

WaterSafe, the national register of approved plumbers and water professionals, is encouraging Gas Safe registered engineers to make sure they are qualified and compliant in these regulations.

The key requirements:

• Water fittings must be of an approved design and material that will not contaminate water
• Installations must prevent backflow and back-siphonage, which could allow pollutants into the potable water system
• Certain works – such as installing unvented hot water systems or large baths – require notification to the local water company before installation
• Fittings must be tested for compliance, eg, through British Standards or approved through schemes such as WRAS Approvals, NSF or KIWA certification.

Water companies enforce the regulations and carry out inspections of new and existing installations to check they are being met. Where breaches are found, they must be remedied. It’s a criminal offence to breach the regulations and offenders may face prosecution.

Lead-free solder campaign

Compliance with the regulations and byelaws has been brought into sharp focus through WaterSafe’s lead-free solder campaign. The use of lead solder in drinking water systems has been banned under the regulations since 1987, however, a recent WaterSafe survey revealed:

•  50% of plumbers still occasionally use lead solder when jointing pipework supplying hot or drinking water
• 94% continue to carry lead solder in their toolkits, creating a risk of accidental contamination.

Lead dissolves in drinking water and poses serious health risks, particularly to young children and pregnant women. It can cause developmental issues and long-term health problems.

About WaterSafe

WaterSafe is the national register for approved plumbers, water supply pipe installers, water services specialists and plumbing businesses.

The register is made up of four UK approved contractor schemes – the Water Industry Approved Plumbers’ Scheme (WIAPS), the APHC, CIPHE and the Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF). Members of these schemes can join WaterSafe free.

WaterSafe is supported and promoted by all UK water companies and drinking water regulators, as well as organisations such as Citizens Advice and the NHS. Around 8,000 installers carry the scheme’s stamp of approval.

You can read about the regulations and byelaws at: www.waterregsuk.co.uk/regulations