Compliance: Lead Free, WaterMark and WELS

Why These Labels on Your Tapware Matter… More Than You Might Think

At first glance, the labels on taps or showerheads might seem like an afterthought. But when it comes to your health, wellbeing, and the efficiency of your home, they matter more than you might realise.

Certification marks like WaterMark and WELS are more than bureaucratic requirements - they’re signs that the tapware in your home has been independently assessed for safety, performance, and sustainability. And in today’s homes, those three qualities matter more than ever.

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Your Wellbeing Begins at the Tap

Water is one of the most intimate parts of our daily routine. We drink it, cook with it, bathe our children in it - and trust it implicitly.

But that trust depends on the quality of what delivers it: your tapware. Non-compliant, poor-quality, or outdated fittings can introduce risks most people don’t see coming. That’s why choosing certified fixtures is a vital - and often overlooked - part of creating a healthy home.

At The English Tapware Company, we take this responsibility seriously.

Behind the craftsmanship is a foundation of engineering that supports both your wellbeing and the environment.

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WaterMark: The Safety Standard You Shouldn’t Ignore

The WaterMark Certification Scheme is Australia’s baseline for plumbing product safety. It ensures that fittings have been independently tested and certified to meet national performance standards.

If a product doesn’t carry this mark, it cannot legally be installed by a licensed plumber - no matter where you buy it. It’s your first assurance that what’s behind the walls and under the sink is safe, durable, and fit for purpose.

All Perrin & Rowe products comply with the WaterMark scheme (Licence WMKA02818) and relevant Australian standards (AS/NZS 3718:2005 and AS/NZS 3662:2005).

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Planning Ahead: A Subtle but Significant Change

In response to growing health concerns, the National Construction Code (NCC) will require all tapware used for drinking water to meet strict low-lead requirements from 1 May 2026, certified under the new Lead-Free WaterMark.

This certification confirms that copper alloy components in kitchen and basin tapware contain no more than 0.25% lead by weighted average across all wetted surfaces, aligning Australian regulations with international best practice.

Historically, tapware sold in Australia - particularly for KITCHEN and BASIN use - has been manufactured using Dezincification-Resistant (DZR) brass, which typically contains between 1.5% and 2.5% lead. These taps have met long-standing WaterMark standards, but the new lead-free requirements take health protection even further.

It's important to note that the new rule only applies to tapware used with drinking water. Products like bath-only taps, showerheads, dishwashers, and emergency fittings remain exempt under current guidelines.

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Proactive Compliance: Perrin & Rowe is Ready

Perrin & Rowe’s UK foundry is already preparing for the 2026 transition, reformulating brass alloys to meet low-lead thresholds without compromising on quality or finish.

This proactive shift ensures that all kitchen and basin tapware destined for Australian homes will meet the new standards - well ahead of the deadline. Products bearing the Lead-Free WaterMark will be clearly marked and listed on our website starting May 2026. (Preview of products are tagged below.)

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The Implementation of Lead-Free Requirements for Drinking Water

Living in Australia, we have an expectation that the drinking water flowing from our kitchen and bathroom taps is safe for us and our families to drink. Our plumbing regulations for tapware requires them to be made of DZR (dezincification resistant) brass, the formula for which has a very small lead content.  Responding to the global movement for plumbing regulators to reduce lead in brass formulas, changes have been made to the Australian and NZ plumbing and building codes.

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Regulations

Following a three-year transitional period to allow manufacturers to comply with the new requirements, all plumbing products coming into contact with drinking water which are installed after 1 May 2026, must comply with the new lead-free requirements.

The scope of these new requirements is comprehensive, encompassing all copper alloy plumbing products that come into contact with drinking water.  Products falling within this new requirement include kitchen and basin taps, mixers, plumbing fittings, drinking fountains, water filter systems, ice makers, water heaters, boiling water tanks and taps, and units dispensing chilled and carbonated water.

Significant brands with their own manufacturing facilities have used the three-year transition period to make the necessary changes in production and materials and undergo the testing regime required to certify complying lead-free product in advance of the 1 May 2026 deadline. Some brands will not be able to accommodate the changes and will disappear from the local market after that date.

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Lead-Free WaterMark Certification Documentation

Certified compliance with the new regulations will be evidenced by a new Lead Free WaterMark logo on the product and packaging and listed as Lead Free on their WaterMark Schedule.  

When specifiers, interior designers, architects, consumers, tradesmen etc. are selecting plumbing products for future projects, they should request copies of a brand’s WaterMark and Lead Free WaterMark certification schedules to ensure the selected product can be legally installed. 

Suppliers should host their WaterMark and Lead Free WaterMark schedules on their websites or provide them on request to enable specification of their products. Specifiers should include these WaterMark and Lead Free WaterMark certification schedules within their project documentation.

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Transition Period End Date

Australia: The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) give the transition period end date of 1 May 2026 as the date after which only certified lead free product can be installed. They advise that they are preparing a document with more detail covering projects under construction on that date and will place this on the ABCB website.

New Zealand: In New Zealand MBIE have given the following instructions:

• Building consent applications and the transition period end date
  The information below explains how the transition period end date should be applied.
• Consents granted before the transition period ends
  For building consents granted by a building consent authority (BCA) on or before 1 May 2026 (including consented projects under construction), the building work may proceed using the acceptable solution provisions that were approved by the building consent.
• Consent applications made before the transition period ends
  Building consent applications that have been made on or before 1 May 2026 may continue to comply with the acceptable solution provisions that were in place on the date the consent application was made.
• Consent applications made after the transition period ends
  Building consent applications made on or after 2 May 2026 must follow the updated provisions when using the acceptable solutions as a means of compliance.
• Building work that does not require a consent
  For building work exempt from requiring a building consent under Schedule 1 of the Building Act 2004, the person who carries out the work (e.g. the plumber) is responsible for ensuring that the products and methods used in carrying out the work comply with the requirements that are in effect at the time of installation.

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Final Thought: Choose with Confidence

Tapware isn’t just a finishing touch - it’s an everyday interface with your health, your home, and your planet.

Look for these three marks:

• WaterMark – for safety and compliance
• WELS – for water efficiency and savings
• (Soon) Lead-Free WaterMark – for added peace of mind

Because the best design choices are the ones that care for what you can’t see - your health, your family, and your future.

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Perrin & Rowe and Rockwell Tapware

Since notification of the new lead free requirements, we have been working closely with Perrin & Rowe and Rockwell collections on compliance with them. We have created a new lead free kitchen and bathroom tap collection and have passed the necessary testing. This collection will soon be in production for Australia and New Zealand.

The products which will be available in Lead Free going forward are tagged accordingly "AVAILABLE IN LF VERSION 2026" and also listed below. The new LF code will have a 3 as an additional last digital before the finish suffix. ie AU1222CP will become AU12223CP.

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WELS: For Water Efficiency That Makes a Real Impact

The Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (WELS) is focused on the long-term performance of your fixtures – and their environmental impact. By displaying star ratings on taps, showers, and toilets, WELS helps you make informed choices that save both water and money.

“The more stars on the WELS label, the less water that product will use - and the more money you will save.”
– Water Rating Australia

Perrin & Rowe WELS ratings:

• Showers: 3 stars – 9 L/min
• Kitchen & Basin Taps: 4 stars – 7.5 L/min
• Toilets: 3 stars – 6 L full flush
• Note: Bath Taps do not require a WELS rating.

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