As temperatures rise in the UK, water shortages are becoming a concern, while product approvals in the water sector have been a contentious topic for some time!
Mike Bennett, Essco Product Manager, comments, “Certification of products used in water supply has been a source of confusion for a while now, with many manufacturers and specifiers believing that products must be WRAS approved”.
He continues, “In fact, there are three approval schemes in the UK: NSFreg4, WRAS, and KUKreg4. All three schemes provide the legally required testing and certification demanded by Regulation 4, and therefore offer the exact same levels of product approval”.
Recently, the British Pump Manufacturers Association (BPMA) has pushed for change in the water sector by lobbying the UK Government and other interested parties, something that Essco fully supports. The BPMA are encouraging water equipment specifiers to get up-to-speed with the Water Supply (Water Fittings Regulations 1999) with particular focus on the requirement of Regulation 4.
Going forward, they say it is no longer appropriate to refer to products or materials being compliant with WRAS approval. It should be stated that products are Regulation 4 compliant or where appropriate Reg 31 compliant.
You can find out more about this topic in this excellent article on the BPMA website.
Call us on 01489 779068 or email projects@essco.evmk.dev to find out how Essco can add value to your next project.