WaterMark

The WaterMark Certification Scheme, or WaterMark, is a mandatory scheme for plumbing and drainage products in Australia. The National Construction Code requires most plumbing and drainage products to be WaterMark certified, to ensure products are fit for purpose and authorised for use in plumbing and drainage installations.

The Australian Building Codes Board administers the scheme on behalf of the state and territory governments. State and territory plumbing regulators enforce WaterMark when products are installed by licensed plumbing practitioners.

WaterMark certification means a product:

• has been tested by an accredited testing laboratory​
• complies with an applicable specification​
• has been manufactured to an approved quality management system​.

Certification is granted as part of the manufacturing process – not to a supplied product that is about to be installed.​

If a product is listed on the Schedule of Products and is to be installed in Australia, including those purchased via online stores like eBay and Amazon, the product must be:

• WaterMark certified
• marked with the WaterMark trademark, WaterMark licence number and the applicable product specification
• listed on the WaterMark product database
• provided with a Scope of Use statement of its intended use.

Any associated product packaging and promotional material may also be marked with the WaterMark trademark and licence number. 

A WaterMark certified product is fit for purpose and authorised for installation by a licensed plumber.

WaterMark product certification protects community health and safety.

Products requiring WaterMark certification are identified on the WaterMark Schedule of Products. Products that do not require WaterMark certification are identified on the WaterMark Schedule of Excluded Products.

WaterMark Conformity Assessment Bodies (WMCABs) are accredited to evaluate and certify plumbing and drainage products to an approved specification, and issue WaterMark Licences for inclusion on the WaterMark Product Database, on behalf of the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB). WMCABs, also known as Approved Certifiers, undertake annual product conformity surveillance of certified products.

The ABCB owns, manages and administers the WaterMark Certification Scheme (the scheme).

The Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JASANZ) accredits WMCABs.

If a new product cannot be evaluated to an approved specification, a new or amended product specification can be submitted to the ABCB Office for review and approval. Once approved, the WMCAB can evaluate the new product. 

The WaterMark Administrative Framework details the relationship of key stakeholders and their role in the scheme.

To have your products WaterMark certified, your first step is to contact a WaterMark Conformity Assessment Body (WMCAB).

WMCABs are authorised to undertake WaterMark certification of plumbing and drainage products on behalf of the Australian Building Codes Board. 

Hyperlinks to the websites of all accredited WMCABs are located on our website.

Your WMCAB will be able to advise the requirements, cost and timeframe for WaterMark certification of your products. All WMCABs are based in Australia however they operate internationally.

To achieve WaterMark certification, a plumbing and drainage product must be evaluated by a WMCAB, and must:

• be tested by an accredited testing laboratory
• comply with an applicable specification
• be manufactured in accordance with an approved Quality Management System, and
• clearly state its intended scope of use.

For further information about having your products WaterMark certified please refer to this page on the WaterMark website. 

For further general information about the WaterMark Certification Scheme please refer to this page on the WaterMark website.

WaterMark Certificates of Conformity are issued to conforming product manufacturers by the WaterMark Conformity Assessment Body (WMCAB), also known as an Approved Certifier, who assessed the product. Certificates of Conformity can be sourced from the certifying WMCAB.

Look up the WaterMark Licence on the WaterMark Product Database to find the relevant WMCAB. Hyperlinks to the websites of all accredited WMCABs are located on our website. 

Only manufacturers of WaterMark certified products are authorised to use the WaterMark certification trademark on their conforming products. When the WaterMark Conformity Assessment Body (WMCAB) issues certification for conforming products, they will send an Approved Certifier Agreement, granting permission for the use of the trademark with attendant obligations. Once this has been signed, they will send relevant trademark files for product marking. Speak to your WMCAB if you don’t receive the logo. 

Search the WaterMark product database to confirm the product you want to buy is WaterMark certified.

You can search by:

• WaterMark Licence number
• product type, brand name, model name or model ID, or
• licensee/manufacturer name.

Ask the supplier for the WaterMark Licence number and check this on the WaterMark product database to confirm it is valid before you buy the product.

It is not illegal to sell non-WaterMark certified plumbing and drainage products in Australia. This is because they can be used where National Construction Code compliance is not required. However, if the product type is listed on the WaterMark Schedule of Products, but is not WaterMark certified, a licensed plumber is not permitted to install it. In addition, if a non-WaterMark certified product is installed where a WaterMark certified product is required, the state or territory plumbing administration may not accept the installation.

Request the certification information from the supplier before you buy it and check this on the WaterMark product database. If you still can’t find the required information, the product may not be WaterMark certified.

If you suspect that a product is not WaterMark certified or is labelled incorrectly, report it here.

The WaterMark Certification Scheme is a product certification scheme that aims to ensure a product is manufactured as fit for purpose, in accordance with the relevant product specification and the Scheme Rules.

It is not a consumer protection or advice scheme and does not issue warranties for the manufacture of products. Manufacturer/retailers issue these warranties.

If the manufacturer/retailer is failing to meet the terms of the warranty issued when you purchased the product you may wish to report the issue to the ACCC (Australian Competition and Consumer Commission).

Complaints about false claims should be referred to the Department of Fair Trading (Consumer Affairs) in the relevant state or territory.

If you believe the WaterMark certification trade mark is being used without authorisation, is misrepresented, or misleadingly associated with a product or organisation, it’s important to report it. This helps protect the integrity of the WaterMark Certification Scheme.

Examples of potential misuse include:

• Use of the WaterMark trade mark by a company or product not certified under the scheme
• False claims of WaterMark Certification
• Use of the trade mark in a way that implies endorsement by the ABCB or the WaterMark Certification Body when none exists.

To report suspected misuse, please contact the ABCB with the following details:

• A description of the suspected misuse
• Where you saw it (e.g. website, product packaging, advertisement)
• Any supporting evidence (e.g. screenshots, links, documents).

You can report misuse via the ABCB help and support page.

The ABCB will assess the report and may refer the matter to the relevant WaterMark Certification Body, regulatory authority, or take further action as appropriate.

Reminder: The WaterMark trade mark is a registered certification trade mark and is protected under Australian law. Unauthorised use may result in legal action.