Tom Melhuish 3 min read

How to avoid infringement on water fitting regulations.

In 1999, “The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations” were set out as a national requirement to reduce waste and contamination of the drinking water supply. The water supply regulations put obligations on businesses with regard to their water fittings and systems.

The regulation essentially stops any potential contamination of the water supply in your water pipes.

These regulations were put in place to protect water usage for both commercial and residential use. These regulations apply to England and Wales to the following:

Plumbing systems
Water fittings

Below are a few tips to ensure you are not infringing these rules leaving your business vulnerable to a considerable fine.

Ensure plumbing systems are correctly installed and maintained.

Ensuring that your plumbing systems are correctly installed and maintenance is carried out regularly will keep them functioning to the correct standard, stopping you from breaching any regulation.

Using “Watersafe” approved plumbers.

Using Watersafe plumbers is an excellent way to ensure you meet the regulations. They are familiar with the water fitting rules, and you’ll receive a certificate to confirm your setup is approved.

Prevent backflow – Ensure you have the correct devices fitted.

Make sure you have the correct devices fitted to prevent the issue of backflow. Backflow is where the water flows back into the source.

To protect public health, devices must be fitted to ensure that your water is not flowing back into the water source and contaminating the water.

Water regulation inspections and advice.

When you have your water regulation inspections, they’ll provide you with a detailed report, telling you the actions you must take in the immediate future to stay within the regulations and the timeframes of when this must be completed.

If you fail to complete these and are not compliant by the time the water regulators come to reinspect, you’ll find yourself liable for legal action and fines, so make sure if there is any outstanding work to complete, get it completed by the deadline by an approved Watersafe plumber.

Other useful guides and advice for your business: