WRAS Approval Services
What Is WRAS Approval?
WRAS (Water Regulations Approval Scheme) is one of the UK approval bodies for fittings and materials that are in contact with drinking water.
WRAS Terminology
| WRAS (Water Regulations Advisory Scheme) | Name of the organisation which created WRAS Approval. WRAS conducts the review of all products that obtain WRAS Approval. |
| WRAS Approval | Name of the certificate/approval achieved once a product or material has passed testing (by a partner lab) and review (by WRAS). |
| WRAS-Approved Laboratory | WRAS does not conduct any product testing, only review. Therefore, they depend on partner labs to conduct this testing (like NSF's lab in Wales). |
In the UK, water regulations and byelaws require a water fitting to be of an appropriate quality and standard and that it doesn’t cause waste, misuse, undue consumption, or contamination to the water supply. Non-metallic materials are also required to comply with British Standard 6920. These provisions are included in the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 for England and Wales, the Water Fittings Regulations and Scottish Water Byelaws 2014, and the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009.
For manufacturers, it's not strictly mandatory to earn a certification. However, because installers are those responsible for using products that comply with the law, they will naturally only work with water fittings that have been tested and approved.
WRAS is a well-known UK Approval scheme for that purpose. As an approval body, however, it doesn't carry out tests independently and relies on testing by third party test labs. When you apply for WRAS Approval, you will be required to submit test reports from a recognised laboratory.
That's where NSF can help.
How Does WRAS Testing Work With NSF?
Here are the steps to WRAS Approval when you work with us:
- Application: NSF provides an initial estimate.
- Application Review and Sampling: Once this initial estimate has been advised, the application undergoes a full technical review and sample selection is provided.
- Sample Receipt at NSF: Samples are received and checked against the sample request form (EPSF).
- Samples Checked and Tested: Samples are checked initially against the marking criteria (test code 6001.1) and visual checks (test code 4001.11). Once the samples have passed the marking test, the application can proceed to full testing.
- WRAS Submission (Cut Off 1): Cut Off 1 date is the deadline where your application has to be submitted to WRAS in order to review it in time for the next available PAAG (Product Assessment Group) meeting.
- WRAS Submission (Cut Off 2): Between Cut Off 1 and the PAAG meeting, WRAS can return the file with any queries that they have raised. Your Account Manager (AM) will then send any queries over to you to resolve. These queries must be resolved and resubmitted in time for the Cut Off 2 dates that your AM will advise you on.
- PAAG Meeting: Samples are visibly inspected by the PAAG members who determine whether approval can be granted.
Why Work With NSF for Your WRAS Approval Testing
All Testing Under One Roof
Our WRAS-recognised NSF's facility in Oakdale, Wales, is the only ISO/IEC-17025-accredited laboratory in the UK that offers both mechanical and material tests for WRAS Approval. Doing all testing under one roof means you can ship all your samples to one destination, saving time and costs.
Accredited and WRAS-Approved Laboratory
Our laboratory is also accredited by UKAS to ISO-17065 to offer product certification, which certifies the competence, consistency, and impartiality of tests. In fact, it's the only entity in the UK that is accredited to both ISO standards for both certification and testing of water fittings and non-metallic materials.
UK Water Market Expertise
We’ve been testing products for WRAS since the creation of the WRAS Approval scheme and even prior to the creation of WRAS when the scheme was known as the Water Byelaws Scheme. Our account managers are located in the UK and are experts in the requirements for the certification of water fittings and materials to all UK regulations and byelaws. Thanks to our extensive experience, we don't just test products, we also help customers identify issues and correct any non-conformances rapidly.
Looking for an Alternative to WRAS Approval?
NSF offers a certification programme called NSF REG4, which is typically 4-6 weeks faster than WRAS Approval with equal acceptance.
Related Services
NSF REG4 Certification
TMV Certification
Municipal Water Treatment Systems and Products
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