WaterSafe is a free online search facility funded by the water industry to help customers find competent and qualified plumbers in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Plumbers approved through WaterSafe have specific training in the Water Fittings Regulations and Byelaws to ensure they meet the strict legal requirements for installing water pipes and fittings.

It brings together thousands of qualified contractors employed by plumbing businesses from the seven existing Approved Contractors’ Schemes across the UK, including:

• • The Water Industry Approved Plumbers’ Scheme (WIAPS),


• • Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering (CIPHE),


• • Association of Plumbing and Heating Contractors (APHC),


• • Scottish and Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF),


• • Anglian Water’s APLUS,


• • Severn Trent’s Watermark and


• • Thames Water’s TAPS.

CIPHE has advised its members that they would already be able to join Watersafe due to the regulations matching up with CIPHE membership clauses.

Plumbers approved through WaterSafe have specific training in the Water Fittings Regulations and Byelaws, to ensure they meet the strict legal requirements for installing water pipes and fittings.

WaterSafe approved businesses must adhere to the WaterSafe customer commitments, conditions of membership, scheme rules and customer redress arrangements. Plus, plumbers must carry agreed levels of public liability insurance and operate a customer redress scheme.

The scheme is supported by the government watchdogs for drinking water, the Drinking Water Inspectorate in England and Wales, the Drinking Water Inspecorate (Northern Ireland), and the Drinking Water Quality Regulator in Scotland.