Products covered relate to WC Suites:

• Water Closet suites (flushing cisterns and pans etc.);
• components for WC Suites (inlet valves, flushing devices, flushing cisterns etc.);
• backflow prevention arrangements and devices for water systems including their classifications.

WC Suite Regulator Specifications

The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009 (applicable in Northern Ireland) and the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 (applicable in England and Wales) regulate how water systems are designed, installed and operated.

Both sets of regulations require water fittings to be an appropriate quality and standard and suitable for the circumstances in which they are used. In the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2009, one such way to comply with this is for the fitting to conform with a specification that has been approved under the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999. Some of these Regulator Specifications which ensure, amongst other things, that a fitting will not cause contamination of the water supply thereby protecting human health, have been amended and can be utilised in Northern Ireland.
The amendments relate to: the design and performance of Water Closet suites and their components; backflow prevention arrangements and their classifications; and, relevant testing requirements.
They will prevent water from a Water Closet cistern backflowing into a clean drinking water supply by:
introducing a new backflow prevention arrangement for Water Closets; and, applying appropriate testing requirements.
These measures will be adopted in July 2023, come into force 12 months after adoption and have no expiry date.