What is WRAS approval?
WRAS approved, but what does this mean?
When installing a product which will carry or receive water from the public mains water supply in the UK, it is a criminal offence if it does not 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’.
The Regulations are typically in effect between the boundary of a property and the point of discharge as illustrated here. WRAS Approval is the best way to demonstrate compliance as it is granted directly by representatives of the water suppliers and is therefore accepted by every water supplier in the UK.
WRAS Fitting Approval
Whole products such as valves, boilers & showers undergo mechanical and water quality testing. This type of approval demonstrates full 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.
Did you know?
The Environment Agency has developed a methodology for identifying and classifying relative levels of water stress in water company areas in England. The Government has used this map to designate areas of serious water stress for the purpose of accelerating water metering.
