We do the hard work so you don't have to.

We Evaluate

all documentation* ensuring it meets the necessary requirements.

We Advise

on the compliance of materials and components.

We Prepare

and submit the necessary documentation to the chosen Test Laboratory.

We Liaise

with the laboratory on a regular basis to provide you with status updates.

* including application forms, general assembly drawings, installation manuals and data sheets.

We manage the entire project through to certification

WRAS

Any water fitting, which when installed, will carry or receive water from the public mains water supply in the UK, must comply with the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations or Scottish Byelaws. These require that a water fitting should not cause waste, misuse, undue consumption or contamination of the water supply and must be 'of an appropriate quality and standard'.

A WRAS approval is an easy way to demonstrate compliance for a material or water fitting.

WRAS Product Approval

Whole products such as valves, boilers & showers undergo mechanical and water quality testing. This type of approval demonstrates compliance with requirements of the regulations and byelaws, provided the fitting is installed according to any conditions given with the approval.

WRAS Material Approval

Non-metallic materials & components, such as rubber sheet material & 'O' rings, undergo testing only for their effects on water quality. This type of approval demonstrates that the non-metallic material/component does not itself contaminate the water and therefore satisfies this particular requirement of regulations and byelaws.

Please note that other approval schemes are available as detailed below.

About REGULATION 4 Compliance

For water installations in the UK, the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 will need to be complied with. In respect of Water fittings and their requirements, reference should be made to Regulation 4, where Regulation 4(1) refers to ‘every water fitting should be of an appropriate quality or standard’ and also Regulation 4(2) provides the options to demonstrate compliance i.e. CE Marking where applicable, Appropriate British or European standards, and also a specification approved by the regulator.

For many years the test laboratories’ have used the regulators specification as a series of tests as an option to demonstrate compliance with Regulation 4.

Historically, the established voluntary practice has been for ISO17025 accredited laboratories to issue test reports against these Specifications, and then on behalf of the manufacturer forward a Technical file incorporating these results to another scheme WRAS – (Water Regulations Advisory Scheme) to issue a certificate of approval. The process of issuing the certificate has included a review by the WRAS staff and approval being issued through meetings attended by representatives of the UK water suppliers. When water suppliers are enforcing these Water Regulations, they look for evidence of compliance of Regulation 4 and the common practice has been delivery of a WRAS certificate.

In recent years manufacturers have also asked Kiwa and NSF to provide an equivalent declaration of compliance with Regulation 4, which has been done using a Kiwa or NSF UK Regulation 4 certificate of approval. The tests are based on appropriate European standards or the Regulators Specification, performed at their ISO17025 test laboratories, and the certificate is issued through a system complying with ISO17065.

Please see alternative options below to show REGULATION 4 compliance:

KIWA KUKreg4 Certification

The Kiwa UK Regulation 4 Product Approval Scheme (KUKreg4) provides an alternative to the established way of demonstrating compliance and traditional methods of obtaining approvals and certificates.

All approvals are listed on their public website www.kiwa.com/gb/en/about-kiwa/water-products which is regularly visited by UK water suppliers for checking product approvals. Kiwa are working closely with the water suppliers for a better understanding and visibility of the processes in the joint interest of water quality and safety.

Download KUKreg4 Brochure

NSF REG4 Certification

The NSF REG4 certification scheme for the UK market allows plumbing products and materials that are in contact with drinking water to demonstrate compliance with the UK Water Supply (Water Fittings) regulations. NSF developed this certification as a streamlined way for plumbing product manufacturers and materials suppliers to conform with UK regulations and gain timely access to the UK market.

All listings can be found on their public website www.nsf.org/certified-products-systems

Download NSF REG4 Brochure

BS6920

A British standard that ensures the suitability of non-metallic products for use in contact with water intended for human consumption. BS 6920 sets out a number of test methods for testing odour and flavour of water in contact with the material, appearance of water, growth of aquatic micro-organisms on the material, extraction of substances that may be of concern to public health and extraction of metals. This is also required for WRAS approval.

TMV2 Scheme

TMV2 is a certification scheme designated for thermostatic mixing valves to be compliant with EN 1111 (high pressure) and/or EN 1287 (low pressure). The thermostatic mixing valves covered by the TMV2 scheme are used in domestic properties or other domestic type situations. Due to the high level of injury and death because of burning and scalding, the UK Building Regulations Part G requires mixing valves to be compliant with EN 1111:1999 and/or 1287:1999 to assure safety for users.

TMV3 Scheme

TMV3 is a certification scheme designated for thermostatic mixing valves to be compliant with the performance requirements of the UK Department of Health HTM 04-01 Supplement, Performance specification D 08. These thermostatic mixing valves are used in high-risk areas of healthcare premises. This robust performance-based specification ensures the safety of vulnerable people including children, older people and users who are unable to react to prevent injury while washing or bathing.