What the scheme is for
The WaterMark Certification Scheme is mandatory: it certifies certain plumbing and drainage products so that they are fit for purpose in a plumbing and drainage installation. The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) manages and administers it.
The rule that matters at the sink is short. A product of a listed type has to be certified before installation, and a licensed plumbing practitioner must install it. On the Schedule of Products, “Tapware” covers metallic, plastic, mixing, sensor, lever and timed flow taps, hand sprays and more, certified to AS 3718 (Water supply – Tap ware). A separate entry, “Tap accessories”, covers parts such as the jumper valve assembly, o-ring, spindle and tap head.
What a certified tap carries
Any product on the Schedule of Products that is going to be installed in Australia, including one bought from an online store, must be:
- marked with the WaterMark trademark, its WaterMark licence number and the product specification that applies;
- listed on the WaterMark product database;
- supplied with a Scope of Use statement that sets out its intended use.
Packaging and promotional material may also carry the trademark and licence number. To check a product before you buy, the ABCB points to the WaterMark product database, which its WaterMark website offers as “Check a product” and which is searchable by product type, brand name, model name or model ID, or suggests requesting the certification information from the supplier.
The sink, the strainer and the tap, side by side
Not every plumbing product needs WaterMark certification. The ABCB keeps two lists: the Schedule of Products, of types predetermined to require it, and the Schedule of Excluded Products, of types predetermined to be excluded. Around one kitchen sink, they divide up like this.
| Part | Which list | What the entry says |
|---|---|---|
| Tapware | Schedule of Products | Certified to AS 3718; the lead free requirements apply, with listed exceptions. |
| Tap accessories | Schedule of Products | Includes the jumper valve assembly, o-ring, spindle, tap body and tap head; the lead free requirements apply. |
| Sink | Schedule of Excluded Products | “Kitchen, cleaners, laboratory, pot, tea, bar or utility. Note: Waste outlets require certification.” |
| Sink strainer plug | Schedule of Excluded Products | “Strainer plug to prevent food waste entering the drainage system.” Not required to be certified. |
Excluded does not mean unregulated. Products on the excluded list must still be supported by evidence of suitability under Part A of the Plumbing Code of Australia; where an excluded product includes integral components that are on the Schedule of Products, each of those components must be certified; and any material or product intended for contact with drinking water must comply with AS/NZS 4020.
Read as a whole, the lists put the scrutiny where water is drawn, drunk and drained: the tap, its working parts and the waste outlet. That is this guide’s reading, not the ABCB’s wording.
Buying a tap online
It is legal to sell plumbing products in Australia that are not WaterMark certified. But if the product type is on the Schedule of Products and the product is not certified, a licensed plumber is not permitted to install it, and if one is installed where certification is required, your local plumbing authority may not accept the installation.
The ABCB lists possible consequences of using uncertified products where certified ones are required, including product failure resulting in possible contamination of domestic and community water supply, and possible building damage and loss. If you are buying online and the website does not show the certification, it suggests asking the supplier.
If you suspect a product is not certified or is labelled incorrectly, the ABCB’s report a product page directs you to your state or territory plumbing administration.
Two schemes, one tap
WaterMark and the WELS water rating are different schemes with different jobs: WaterMark is about whether a product is fit for purpose and authorised for installation, WELS about how much water it uses. They meet at the tap, because a tap needs WaterMark certification before WELS will register it. The WELS site also describes a third, similarly named program, Smart Approved WaterMark, which certifies water efficient products and services; WELS suggests its website for finding water efficient products for outdoor use. Same word, different scheme.
After the tap is chosen
Once a product is confirmed as certified, the ABCB says it must be installed by a licensed plumber, and suggests always asking your plumber if they are licensed before work starts; you can also check with your local plumbing authority. Plumbing work by unlicensed people can attract penalties. Who counts as licensed, and for which jobs, is set state by state: see who can connect a kitchen sink.
Next tile: Lead-free tapware: the limit and the dates