Manufacturers and suppliers of tapware and other products covered by the WaterMark scheme now have until 1 May 2026 to comply with the new limit of 0.25 per cent lead content.

The new limit was first announced in July 2021 and we welcomed it with this news item and media release.

It is one of the major amendments in the National Construction Code 2022 Volume Three, which is the Plumbing Code of Australia, and was originally going to become mandatory in September 2025.

The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) decided to announce the later date because of delays in the registration of a new Lead Free WaterMark trademark.

For plumbers, this means they can legally supply and install products that comply with current provisions for lead content until 30 April 2026.

For more information, see the ABCB announcement Transition to lead free plumbing products starts now.