The plumbing industry has been busy promoting the WATERMARK approval stamp on various plumbing fittings, fixtures and tapware.
Why you might ask?
How does this effect you the consumer? What are your rights as a consumer?
Well let me explain the reason for this !
The plumbing industry stakeholders like the Building Commission, Plumbing Code of Australia and the MPGA are in the process of ensuring that fittings, pipes, plumbing fixtures and tap ware that you the consumer are protected from products manufactured from metals with a very high level of lead, arsenic and other toxic chemicals used by some manufacturers.
We should all remember the fiasco with the Princess Margaret Childrens of Perth WA.
Tests on the water supply in the building gave a very dangerous reading of lead in the water supply. After investigating the cause it was confirmed that the builder had in fact purchased a vast amount of brass plumbing fittings which were NOT watermarked. In other words they were not approved or certified as fit for purpose. The result was they were manufactured in China using an alloy which was a brass with very high levels of lead and arsenic well above acceptable allowable safe quantities.So the next time you go to purchase a cheap mixer tap or plumbing part from your local hardware shop. Please think again. Cheap is not always the best. Always purchase any plumbing product with a WATERMARK label/symbol which means it is a quality product.
Also it is illegal for a licensed plumber to install any plumbing product that is not WATERMARKED!