What is a WaterSafe approved plumbing business?

A WaterSafe approved plumbing businesses must already be an eligible member of one of the seven existing Approved Contractor Schemes that make up WaterSafe. These are:

• The Water Industry Approved Plumbers’ Scheme (WIAPS)
• Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC)
• Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE) Approved Contractor Persons
• Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF) Water Regulations Approved Contractors’ Scheme
• Anglian Water’s A Plus
• Severn Trent’s WaterMark
• Thames Water’s TAPS

WaterSafe requires each member to employ suitably qualified and competent individuals. Each WaterSafe approved business must also have £2 million of public liability insurance, and employers’ liability cover – where appropriate – of £5 million in place.

WaterSafe requires each approved plumbing business to be audited within the first 12 months of membership as a minimum. Existing members are also audited on a regular basis.

To be suitably qualified, plumbers employed by a WaterSafe approved plumbing business are required to have a minimum of an NVQ level 2 in a plumbing related discipline and have a Water Fittings Regulations qualification.