What is Wras? Everything you need to know

If you’re in the process of looking for water dispensers, you’ll probably have come across the term ‘WRAS’. Some watercoolers, drinking fountains and bottle fillers will be marked as ‘WRAS approved’. Others will have descriptions that contain phrases such as, ‘with WRAS approved bubblers’. Some won’t mention WRAS at all. For the consumer, this can be problematic.

With so much jargon related to public drinking equipment, it’s easy to overlook what might seem like just another acronym. But WRAS approval is essential for a whole range of reasons. On this page, you can find out everything that you need to know.

What is WRAS?

WRAS stands for the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme. The organisation’s role is to support water companies to ‘supply safe, resilient water supplies in the UK.’ And its duties include:

  • Facilitating learning within the water industry
  • Promoting water regulations
  • Approving plumbers and contractors who demonstrate best practice (Water Industry Approved Plumbers’ Scheme (WIAPS))
  • And approving goods and materials used within water-related industries. Be that lavatories and showers, or public bottle fillers. Essentially, anything likely to come into contact with the national water supply falls within the remit of the WRAS regulations.

In short, WRAS is a champion of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations and Byelaws. And a WRAS certificate is a means of identifying related equipment that complies with the health and safety laws of the United Kingdom.

What does WRAS approved mean?

To gain WRAS approval, a piece of equipment is assessed thoroughly for compliance with all of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations and Byelaws. This involves the object as a whole and all of the individual materials involved in its makeup.

What is the difference between WRAS and non WRAS products?

On the surface, WRAS approved products will look like any other. The difference lies on the inside. Parts may not have been tested for suitability for use with water intended for human consumption. They may leak contaminates, such as lead. The fixings may not be secure. And while many products without WRAS certification might well be entirely compliant with British standards, there will always be some that aren’t.

Whether through a lack of understanding – many countries have less stringent regulations than the UK – or through of lack of care. Because here’s the tricky bit:

It’s not illegal to sell WRAS non-compliant goods in the UK. But as a company owner, you will face penalties if any equipment you are responsible for does not demonstrably comply with the requirements of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations and Byelaws.

It’s not fair. But that is how it is.

Why are we WRAS approved?

It’s a point of pride for MIW Water Cooler Experts that we only supply WRAS approved water dispensers. This is important to us because we believe in honesty. We believe in giving our customers what they pay for, in not shirking responsibility. In supplying goods that are not transparently compliant with all water authority guidelines we would be potentially setting our customers up for an expensive fall. And that’s something that would go against the entire ethos of the company.

WRAS approval means that we can be 100% certain of every assertion we make to our customers about the quality and safety of our products. And it means that we can sleep at night, knowing that we’ve fulfilled our obligations as best as we possibly can.

We work with WRAS approved water coolers simply because it’s the right thing to do.

What should you look out for when shopping for WRAS water dispensers?

The simplest way to be certain of WRAS approval is to look for the logo. But to be sure that you know what you’re getting, it’s also a good idea to take the following steps.

  • Ask the supplier for the WRAS approval certificate relating to the model
  • Check the WRAS approval number. It’s a two-step process which takes seconds.
  • And avoid misleading claims such as ‘fitted with WRAS approved faucets.’ This is deliberate obfuscation and demonstrates that a single part of the unit has been WRAS approved, not the entire unit.
What are YOUR obligations relating to WRAS?

We’ve already touched on this, but it’s important to understand that WRAS approval is not mandatory when purchasing hydration equipment. Whether for your business premises or for sitting in a public position. Therefore, it is not illegal to sell products in the UK that do not meet with the requirements of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations and Byelaws.

However, all equipment that comes into contact with the national water supply must demonstrably comply with the requirements of the above regulations. WRAS approval guarantees this.

And if, as an organisation, you are responsible for any water-related equipment, the onus is on you to demonstrate that it complies with the relevant guidelines. If you cannot, you can be made to remove the equipment. Regardless of how much it cost. Or the good faith with which you made your investment. Without WRAS certification, it can be incredibly difficult to prove that your equipment is compliant.

WRAS approved supplier

At MIW Water Cooler Experts, we’re proud to be a WRAS approved supplier. It’s a process that we embarked upon many years ago now. We even worked with our global partner Elkay/Halsey Taylor to ensure that their world-class bottle fillers and drinking fountains gained WRAS approval. And we did it because our customers are the most important part of our business. And supplying safe equipment is the right thing to do.

If you’d like more information about WRAS approved water dispensers, get in touch with our expert team. They are always happy to help. Alternatively, you can shop our range of WRAS approved products now.

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