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Adding ‘Register’ to our name makes it immediately clear what we are – a register of vetted, qualified plumbing professionals.
That’s always been our purpose; now it’s in the name too, making it clearer to households and businesses looking for a plumber that an official register exists – and for good reason too.
We also wanted a stronger comparison with the Gas Safe Register, which is well known in the UK.
Although WaterSafe registration isn’t mandatory, we want people to treat their drinking water plumbing with the same seriousness and respect that they give their boilers and central heating systems.
Our research found that as few as one in 10 homeowners say they only ever use an approved plumber.
However, the same survey found 91 per cent agree the government should make it compulsory for plumbers working on drinking water systems to be qualified and on an official register.
The support is there, but people aren’t yet choosing to only use WaterSafe-registered plumbers. We hope the name change will increase awareness and uptake.
Plumbers and installers themselves are an important part of the puzzle too – the chances of someone using a registered plumber are far greater if there are lots in the local area.
At worst, contamination of the drinking water supply through wrong fittings, untested products, or failure to follow the Water Fittings Regulations.
This is why all UK water companies and the drinking water quality regulators for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland back WaterSafe Register. They share our interest in keeping water safe after it leaves the mains – and an unqualified plumber working on your internal plumbing can undo that.
Our research shows that 20 per cent of homeowners have used a plumber who didn’t carry out the work correctly and had to hire another plumber to put things right. Problems included water leaks, wrongly connected pipework or other damage, and the average cost to rectify the damage was £387.
Lead solder is another risk that’s easy to overlook. Using lead solder on drinking water systems has been illegal since 1987, yet our research shows some plumbers still do – and two-thirds carry it in their bags alongside lead-free, which creates a real risk of accidental use.
Lead can dissolve into drinking water and build up in the body over time. There is no safe level of exposure, and babies and young children are most at risk, as it can affect their development.
A WaterSafe-registered installer is more likely to only use lead-free solder or fittings that don’t need solder at all. If you’re having any work done on your internal plumbing, ask your plumber which solder they use.
Around 7,000 contractors are already on the register, and they benefit from being listed on the UK’s largest directory of vetted plumbers – promoted by their local water company, recommended through Citizens Advice, and recognised for plumbing work in NHS trusts.
But I think what members value most is what registration says about them to customers.
One of our installers put it well:
“It’s massively important to be properly qualified and for customers to be able to see that.
It’s the people who aren’t qualified who give the trades a bad name.”
That’s exactly why the register exists – it’s a mark of quality and professionalism.
Joining is free for most eligible plumbers, and the process is straightforward. To register, you need to be a member of one of our four Approved Contractor Schemes – APHC, CIPHE, SNIPEF or WIAPS – and hold the right qualifications to work safely on drinking water systems.
For any plumber who takes pride in their work and wants customers to be able to see that, registration is a simple way to make that visible. The register is growing, and the more qualified plumbers who join, the easier it is for consumers everywhere to make a safe choice.
Take 30 seconds, go to our homepage, and put in your postcode to find your nearest WaterSafe-registered plumber.
Every plumber on the register has been vetted through one of our four Approved Contractor Schemes, carries the right insurance, keeps their qualifications up to date, and has a complaints process in place if something goes wrong.
I’d recommend everyone find their nearest WaterSafe-registered plumber and keep their details handy – on the fridge or in your phone contacts – as you never know when you might need one.
WaterSafe Register Approved Contractors' Scheme Operators
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