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Water regulations - Notify us

The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations are national requirements that are aimed at protecting water supplies. They provide information enabling the correct installation, maintenance and use of water fittings.

Prevention of waste, misuse, undue consumption, contamination and errors in the measurement of water supplied by the water supplier are the key aims.

To enable us to effectively enforce the regulations, installers, architects, designers and users should be aware of them and the need for advanced notification for certain types of plumbing work.

When should you notify us about plumbing work and why?

You must notify us before carrying out work on any water system installations in connection with:

• Erection of any new building / structure
• Extension / alteration of water system in non-domestic premises
• Material change in use of any premises
• Bidet - ascending spray / flexible hose
• Bath - larger than 230 litres
• Specified shower units (none at present)
• Pump / booster drawing more than 12 l/min
• Reverse osmosis unit
• Water treatment unit producing wastewater discharge or requiring regeneration
• RPZ valve or other mechanical device for preventing backflow prevention in Fluid 5 or 4
• Garden watering systems - unless hand operated
• Water systems laid outside buildings less than 750mm or greater than 1350mm below ground
• Automatically replenished ponds or swimming pools of more than 10,000 litres

You must provide us with the following details:

• Name and address of person giving notice
• Description of proposed work
• Location of the premises
• Plan of the part of the premises relating to the notice and a diagram showing pipework and fittings to be installed with the approved contractor name - if applicable

• Why do I need to notify you?
• The regulations were produced to prevent waste, misuse, contamination, undue consumption and incorrect measurement of water and Regulation 5 identifies the main areas of installation / alteration which water suppliers would need to be aware of in advance. We can then grant conditional consent or consent without conditions.

• What might happen if I don't notify the water supplier ?
• It is a criminal offence to start work without notification and consent and there have been prosecutions!

• How do I notify you?
• You will need to notify us in writing and for certain types of installation also provide a plan and a diagram of the pipework. Water Regulations Advisory Service (WRAS) has produced a useful information leaflet on notification that fully explains your responsibilities and the information we need. We have produced a Standard Notification Form to assist you.

• How do I find an approved contractor?
• There are a number of approved contractor schemes in operation in the UK. We support the Water Industry Approved Scheme (WIAPS) that is administered by WRAS. There are two main types of approved contractor, those carrying out work on laying and repairing external water services and those carrying out general plumbing and heating work. The easiest route to find an approved contractor is to log on to the WRAS website and search under the Approved Plumber link and then select South Staffordshire Water in the Local Water Supplier box.

• Where can I get more regulations information?
• To assist you in complying with the Regulations we have a number of leaflets and information and guidance sheets that we can supply including copies of the regulations, a Standard Notification Form and explanatory leaflets on the regulations and notification.
• The WRAS website, www.wras.co.uk, is an extremely useful source of information for water regulation matters. From this site you can order a copy of the Water Regulations Guide, which explains in detail how to comply with the requirements of the regulations and access the Water Fittings and Materials Directory online. WRAS can also provide independent advice on water regulations issues if required and can be contacted on 01495 248454.

If you have a query regarding interpretation of the regulations, or would like advice on how to comply with a specific regulation, you can contact our Water Regulations Team on 01922 638282.

If you would prefer to write to us with a query we will aim to provide a substantive response within ten working days of receipt. You can do this by writing to:

Water Regulations Team
South Staffordshire Water Plc
Green Lane
Walsall
WS2 7PD

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