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Approved Contractors
Forum
Water Industry
Approved Contractor Fact Sheet
____________________________________________________________________________________
Purpose
To explain the roles and responsibilities of Approved
Contractors, Approved Contractor Schemes and
WaterSafe
What is an Approved Contractor?
An individual approved by a water company or an
organisation that has been authorised by the
Regulator. This approval can be limited for specific
types of work on private plumbing systems only.
Approved Contractors are not approved to work on
water company assets.
Plumbers: Approved to work on all parts of a
plumbing system, from the external supply pipe
right up to the kitchen and bathroom taps.
Water Supply Pipe Installers or
Groundworkers: Approved to work on the
supply pipe (the underground pipe) supplying
your property, up to the internal stop valve.
Catering Installers: Approved to install
commercial kitchen equipment.
Point of Use Installers: Are approved to install
cold water chillers or coolers connected directly
to the mains.
RPZ Valve Testers: Approved to commission
and test RPZ backflow prevention valves.
What can Approved Contractors do?
Ö They work on private plumbing not water company
assets
Ö They do not need to notify some types of work in
advance (subject to scope of membership)
Ö They are required to issue a work completed
certificate stating whether the work complies with
the requirements of the water fittings regulations or
Scottish Byelaws.
What are the joining requirements?
Ö Approved contractors must have an appropriate
Water fittings regulations/Byelaws qualification.
Approved plumbers must also have a recognised
plumbing qualification
Ö Approved business must have appropriate
insurance
Ö Approved Businesses and Approved Contractors
must meet their scheme requirements
Who are the Approved Contractors Schemes?
There are seven Approved Contractor Schemes:
1 APLUS – operated by Anglian Water
2 TAPS – operated by Thames Water
3 WaterMark - operated by Severn Trent Water
4 WIAPS – operated by Water Regs UK on behalf
of fourteen water companies.
5 APHC operates in England and Wales
6 CIPHE operates across the UK
7 SNIPEF operates in Scotland and Northern
Ireland
Each of the seven approved contractors’ scheme are
responsible for:
• Marketing and communication with their
members,
• applications,
• renewals,
• audits,
• complaints,
• administering their own website and uploading
membership details on to the WaterSafe website.
ACF Newsletter
January 2022
Issue 2
2
What is WaterSafe?
WaterSafe is an umbrella brand to allow members of
the seven Approved Contractors schemes to be found
on the WaterSafe website.
WaterSafe is responsible for the WaterSafe website
and search function. It also provides communications
to raise awareness with consumers and encourage
installers to join WaterSafe through one of schemes.
It does not administer membership applications,
membership renewals, audits or complaints.
The benefit of WaterSafe
A single brand helps to promote all approved
contractors. A central website makes it easier for
consumers to find an approved contractor in one place
rather than searching multiple separate schemes.
Benefits of joining
Top three reasons Approved Contractors join
WaterSafe:
1 Free promotion – online listing /branding
2 Customer reassurance
3 Direct link to local water company
