Media Release 13 May 2022

WaterMark campaign is vitally important for public health

The Master Plumbers and Gasfitters Association of WA is giving full support to an Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) campaign to educate the public about safe plumbing products.

In April, the ABCB launched the ‘LOOK for the WaterMark’ campaign to raise public awareness of the WaterMark Certification Scheme, which it administers on behalf of state and territory plumbing regulators.

The WaterMark Certification Scheme is mandatory across Australia for plumbing products that come into contact with drinking water, as well as items such as hot water systems, toilets and sanitary ware.

Although licensed plumbers are prohibited from installing products in these categories that lack WaterMark certification, it is not illegal for retail stores to sell them. Consumers also buy non-certified products from overseas and on the local second-hand market.

The adverse consequences of using non-certified products include health and safety risks, the cost of building damage due to product failure and loss of insurance cover.

If consumers are unsure about whether a product is certified, they can search for it on the ABCB WaterMark Product Database.

CEO Murray Thomas said, "Licensed plumbing contractors and their staff should take every opportunity to educate customers about why WaterMark matters. The ‘LOOK for the WaterMark’ campaign has a wide range of resources to help them including content for social media feeds and websites, videos, posters and answers to frequently asked questions."

"I would also like to see the media get behind the campaign and tell people about the WaterMark Certification Scheme.”

"This is a vitally important public health topic that needs to be more widely understood."

The ‘LOOK for the WaterMark’ campaign will run until August 2022. Full details are available on the ABCB website.