WaterSafe, the national register of approved plumbers and water contractors, is celebrating its 10th anniversary
It was founded in October 2013 by the UK water industry, numerous plumbing member bodies and the Worshipful Company of Plumbers, which dates back to 1365 when it received its Ordinances from the City of London.
As well as approving plumbers to work on homes’ and businesses’ plumbing systems, the scheme includes water supply pipe installers, point of use installers and reduced pressure valve testers.
Ceri Jones, Chair of WaterSafe, said: “As was the case when the scheme began in 2013, its strength today is it covers the whole of the UK, providing a single register for qualified and approved water contractors.
“Recent research proves just how vital it is for the scheme to continue. Almost a fifth of consumers surveyed have used a plumber to complete work they’d tried to carry out themselves , and more than half of plumbers fix other installers’ work, or DIY jobs, every day.
“Poor plumbing practices can cause a whole host of problems and contaminate drinking water supplies in homes and businesses, so using a WaterSafe contractor is key to prevent this and reassure customers their chosen contractor is competent.
“Of course, the success of WaterSafe is due to the professionalism and quality of our almost-8,000 members. I’d like to thank all our plumbers and contractors for their dedication in improving plumbing standards and protecting water quality in the nation’s homes and businesses.”
To appear on WaterSafe’s online register, contractors must belong to one of the following approved contractor schemes:
– Anglian Water’s APlus
– Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC)
– Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE)
– Scotland and Northern Ireland Plumbing Federation (SNIPEF)
– Severn Trent’s WaterMark
– Water Industry Approved Plumbing Scheme (WIAPS).
Visit www.watersafe.org.uk to read more of its history, or to find out how to become a WaterSafe approved contractor.
