“WRAS approved” means an independent certification body has tested a product and confirmed it is safe to connect to the UK mains water supply, under the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999. In a commercial kitchen it matters most for anything plumbed straight to the mains: glasswashers, dishwashers, water boilers and combi ovens.

What WRAS approval certifies

WRAS is the Water Regulations Approval Scheme, an independent UK certification body (older references call it the Water Regulations Advisory Scheme). A WRAS approval confirms three things about a product:

  • The materials that touch the water do not contaminate it. Seals, hoses and valves must not make the supply unsafe, discoloured or foul-tasting, or let bacteria grow.
  • Backflow prevention is built in where the design needs it, such as a non-return valve or an air gap, so dirty water from the machine cannot be drawn back into the supply.
  • The product does not waste or misuse water.

Approval is granted against the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 in England and Wales, the equivalent 2009 regulations in Northern Ireland, and the 2014 byelaws in Scotland.

Is WRAS approval a legal requirement?

The compliance is required by law. The approval is one way to prove it, not the only one. Any fitting that carries or receives mains water has to meet the Water Fittings Regulations, and a WRAS approval is the most widely recognised evidence that it does. NSF REG4 certification (backed by the Bathroom Manufacturers Association), KIWA certification and a listing in the WRAS Fittings and Materials Directory are all accepted alternatives.

So a machine does not have to carry a WRAS mark specifically, but it does have to meet the regulations.

Why it matters for glasswashers and dishwashers

Warewashing machines connect directly to the supply and hold warm, still water between cycles, which is the condition backflow rules exist to control. If contaminated water were drawn back down the fill line, it would enter the building’s drinking supply.

An Environmental Health Officer or the local water company can ask you to show that a plumbed-in machine complies. If the machine is approved, that evidence already exists as a certificate and a directory entry. If it is not, you may have to arrange an independent assessment or fit extra backflow protection after the event.

How to check a machine’s WRAS status

Ask the supplier for the WRAS Approval Number, then look it up on the WRAS Fittings and Materials Directory at wrasapprovals.co.uk. Two things to check:

  • Check the number format. Approvals granted since 1 January 2024 have nine digits; older ones have seven. Both are valid, but the format tells you roughly how recent the approval is.
  • Check the expiry date. A WRAS approval lasts a maximum of five years and then the product has to be retested. An expired certificate is not proof of current approval, so use the directory rather than a PDF the supplier sends you.

What happens at installation

Regulation 5 of the Water Fittings Regulations requires certain plumbing work to be notified to your local water undertaker before it starts. Installing an approved machine usually makes that notification straightforward, but it does not remove the duty where it applies. A competent commercial installer handles the notification and the connection as part of the job.

The short version

  • “WRAS approved” means a product is certified safe to connect to the UK mains water supply.
  • Compliance with the Water Fittings Regulations 1999 is the legal requirement. WRAS approval is the usual way to show it; NSF REG4 and others are accepted too.
  • For a plumbed-in glasswasher or dishwasher, check the approval number on the WRAS directory and check it has not expired.
  • Your installer should notify the water company where Regulation 5 applies.

Barcare installs mains-plumbed commercial glasswashers and dishwashers, and we handle the water-regulations side, including notification, as part of every installation. If you are weighing up a machine, our guide to glasswasher rental cost covers what an installed, compliant machine actually costs, and our servicing and maintenance cover keeps it that way.