If you supply faucets to Australia or New Zealand, you already know Watermark certification is required. It covers safety, health, and compliance with the plumbing codes.
WELS is the other mandatory certification for water-using products in this region. It stands for Water Efficiency Labeling and Standards. Watermark tells you a product is safe and won’t leak or contaminate drinking water; WELS tells you how much water it uses. For any faucet sold in Australia or New Zealand, both are required.
1. What WELS Is
WELS is a mandatory water efficiency labeling scheme introduced by the Australian government in 2005 under the Water Efficiency Labeling and Standards Act. New Zealand operates under the same framework, so WELS registration covers both markets.
The scheme applies to showerheads, faucets, toilets, urinals, dishwashers, and washing machines. For faucets, registration is not optional.
Every registered product carries a WELS label showing a star rating from zero to six stars and a water consumption figure expressed in liters per minute. The label must appear on the packaging and, in most cases, on the product itself.
2. WELS vs. Watermark
Watermark and WELS serve different purposes, but both are required.
Watermark confirms a product meets plumbing code requirements: material safety, pressure resistance, mechanical durability, and drinking water safety.
WELS addresses water efficiency and labeling. A product can have Watermark but cannot be sold without WELS registration. Conversely, WELS alone does not prove a product is safe or code-compliant. For any faucet in this region, both certifications are required.
3. Testing and the WELS Standard
Water consumption testing follows AS/NZS 6400, the joint Australian and New Zealand standard for WELS testing.
For faucets, the test measures flow rate at a standardized pressure of 500 kilopascals. The result is expressed in liters per minute.
Testing must be done by a laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 with specific accreditation for WELS test methods. In Australia, this typically means a NATA-accredited lab. Test reports are submitted with the registration application.
4. Star Ratings and Water Consumption
Star ratings are based on how a faucet’s flow rate compares to the range for its category. The WELS regulator publishes tables that set the boundaries for each star level.
A six-star faucet typically has a flow rate below 4.5 liters per minute; a three-star faucet might use 6 to 9 liters per minute. Thresholds are reviewed periodically, and existing registrations may need to be updated when they change.
5. Registration and Ongoing Compliance
To obtain WELS registration, a manufacturer or importer submits an application through the Australian government’s WELS portal, including test reports and product details. Once approved, the product is assigned a registration number and listed in the public WELS database.
The regulator conducts market surveillance. Products are occasionally purchased from retailers and tested to verify performance. Failure can result in fines, suspension of registration, or removal from the market.
6. Why This Matters
For anyone importing, specifying, or installing faucets in Australia or New Zealand, WELS is not optional. A faucet without WELS registration cannot be legally supplied for sale. It will be stopped at customs if flagged, and plumbing inspectors will not approve it.
If a non-compliant product is installed and later causes an issue—a failed inspection or a water damage claim—the liability falls on whoever supplied or specified it.
7. How to Verify WELS Registration
WELS registration is public. The Australian government maintains an online WELS product search database where anyone can search by manufacturer name, brand, model number, or registration number. If a product is not listed, it is not currently registered.
At Inoxbath, we maintain WELS registration for our faucets intended for the Australian and New Zealand markets. For any product destined for this region, we provide the registration number and star rating as part of the documentation package.
If you are working on a project in Australia or New Zealand and need to confirm water efficiency requirements or verify a product’s registration, feel free to reach out. Getting both Watermark and WELS right from the start avoids delays at inspection and ensures full compliance.
