NSF International, a global health and safety organisation, has brought two accredited certification schemes to market, NSF REG4 1+ and NSF REG4 S3, designed to offer alternative routes to water fittings compliance. The two schemes are aimed to enable companies to bring water supply products to market more rapidly by ensuring they are compliant with all UK Water Fittings regulations and bylaws.
The organisation offers two solutions to certify mechanical products and materials in contact with drinking water, such as valves, backflow prevention devices, taps, showerheads, pipes, and fittings amongst many others depending on your needs. NSF REG4 1+ requires an annual audit of a water fittings supplier’s facility, meaning that the production facility is evaluated independently against REG4 assessment criteria. On average this takes three hours and enables a reduced level of future testing requirements. NSF REG4 S3, on the other hand, does not have any facility audit requirements but certified products will need a mandatory full retest after five years.
The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, the Water Supply (Water Fittings) (Scotland) Byelaws 2014 and the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 impose a legal duty not to install water fittings unless they satisfy the requirements specified in Regulation 4. NSF REG4 1+ and NEF REG4 S3 are assured solutions that will help businesses ensure that their water fittings and materials meet the UK’s Regulators’ Specifications.
All product testing is conducted at the organisation’s ISO 17025 accredited laboratory in South Wales, which specialises in testing water fittings and materials. If the testing, documentation and auditing (when required) are satisfactory, the certification will appear quickly on the NSF REG4 official online listings. In addition to improving time-to-market, NSF says, this will also ensure traceability in the supplier’s supply chain through the continued certification of approved materials and maintain continuous certification through public listing with flexible expiry dates.
“For businesses, ensuring they are using certified products should be of the utmost importance. Yet we recognise that the certification of these products can be an arduous task. That’s why we wanted to introduce a fully accredited certification scheme that is easy-to-achieve, has clear rules and requirements with no last-minute surprises, and most importantly, is quicker for our clients.”” said Simon Warburton, Certification Manager at NSF International. “By utilising our new Reg4 certification processes, water fittings suppliers can rest assured knowing their products have been independently verified and meet the water standards upheld in the UK. Once the certification process is complete, suppliers can display the NSF REG4 mark on their products which is a visual mark that is respected around the world by water authorities and shows compliance to consumers.”
