WRAS approval is mandatory for plumbing products supplied for UK drinking-water use under the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999. The process takes typically 4–9 months, costs £3,500–£8,000+ per product family, requires DZR brass (CW724R lead-free silicon is the standard choice) and testing to BS EN 15664 (21-day leaching) at an accredited laboratory. This guide is the start-to-finish process map for any exporter targeting the UK water market.
The UK plumbing market is one of the largest single-country markets in the world for brass fittings — and one of the most regulated. The Water Regulations Advisory Scheme (WRAS) is the de-facto entry gate. Without WRAS approval, a brass product cannot legitimately be supplied for installation in any property connected to mains water in England and Wales. This article walks through the application process, costs and timelines so an exporter knows exactly what to expect.
What WRAS is — and what it isn't
WRAS is a not-for-profit body funded by the UK water industry that issues two distinct categories of approval:
- WRAS Material Approval — confirms the materials used in a product (brass alloy, elastomers, plastics) meet the requirements of BS 6920. Issued to the material itself.
- WRAS Product Approval — confirms the assembled product satisfies the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999. Issued to the product. Carries a unique 7-digit listing number.
WRAS Product Approval is the higher tier — most installers and specifiers require it. WRAS Material Approval is sometimes used as an interim step or for raw materials supplied to fitting manufacturers.
The 5-step approval process
Step 1: Pre-application review (1–4 weeks)
The applicant submits drawings, materials list, intended use, and pressure-temperature range to WRAS. WRAS confirms applicability and identifies any obvious issues before testing starts. Cost: typically £300–£500.
Step 2: Material screening (4–8 weeks)
Every wetted material must already have WRAS Material Approval — or must be tested fresh. For brass, this means submitting an alloy datasheet (e.g. CW724R CuZn21Si3P) plus a mill certificate showing composition. The alloy must pass the BS 6920 odour, taste, growth-of-microorganisms, and extraction-of-metals tests over a 21-day stagnation period.
Step 3: BS EN 15664 metals leaching test (6–10 weeks)
The finished product is tested for lead, copper, nickel and zinc leaching into the contact water over a 21-day stagnation period at room temperature. Acceptance criteria (per UK Drinking Water Inspectorate limits):
- Lead (Pb): ≤ 1.0 µg/L migration
- Nickel (Ni): ≤ 20 µg/L migration
- Copper (Cu): ≤ 2 mg/L migration
- Zinc (Zn): ≤ 5 mg/L migration
This test is why CW617N leaded brass effectively cannot pass WRAS — the Pb migration exceeds the threshold within days. CW724R and C6802 silicon brass are the alloys engineered specifically to pass this test.
Step 4: Mechanical and pressure tests (2–4 weeks)
The product must hold its declared maximum pressure (typically PN 16 cold / PN 10 hot) and pass burst-test sampling at 4× working pressure. Endurance testing (mechanical cycling, valve operations) follows where applicable.
Step 5: Audit + listing (2–4 weeks)
WRAS audits the applicant's factory and quality system (or accepts an existing ISO 9001 audit + product-specific addendum). Listing is then issued; the product appears in the searchable WRAS approved products database with a unique 7-digit listing number.
Realistic timeline + cost
| Item | Typical cost (GBP) | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-application review | £300–£500 | 2–4 weeks |
| Material approval (per alloy) | £1,800–£3,200 | 6–10 weeks |
| Product testing (BS EN 15664) | £2,500–£4,500 | 10–14 weeks |
| Factory audit / QMS review | £800–£1,500 | 4 weeks (often parallel) |
| Annual listing fee | £600–£900/year | — |
| TOTAL initial approval | £5,300–£9,200 | 4–9 months |
Alloy choice for WRAS
- CW724R (CuZn21Si3P) — the European default for WRAS. Intrinsically dezincification-resistant; Pb ≤ 0.10% passes the metals leaching test without exemption. Higher tooling cost than CW617N but far lower regulatory risk over a 10-year product lifecycle.
- C6802 (CuZn17Si4) — the ASTM equivalent. Also WRAS-approvable. Useful where a US/Canadian export route also exists alongside UK (carries NSF 61 too).
- CW602N (CuZn36Pb2As, DZR) — possible for WRAS with optimised manufacturing but the Pb 1.6–2.5% range makes the metals leach test marginal. Most manufacturers move directly to CW724R for new product platforms.
Common reasons WRAS submissions fail
- Lead migration above 1 µg/L (using CW617N or CW602N without process optimisation)
- Elastomer outgassing affects taste/odour result (specify BS 6920-approved elastomer grades)
- Inadequate pre-flushing of test samples (specify the pre-flush procedure in your submission)
- Cleaning compound residue from CNC machining (citrate-based degreasing required)
- Missing material traceability — each lot must be traceable to a mill certificate
How Brassland supports WRAS submissions
Brassland supplies WRAS-ready alloy raw material (CW724R from EN 12164-certified rod, mill cert Type 3.1 per shipment) and CNC-finished components cleaned per WRAS pre-test procedures. We don't issue WRAS listings ourselves — that's the customer's product approval — but we provide the documentation pack (alloy datasheet, mill cert, cleaning declaration, factory audit history) that supports your WRAS submission.
Sources & references
- WRAS — Approved products search
- Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999
- UK Drinking Water Inspectorate — water quality limits referenced by WRAS
- BSI — BS 6920 and BS EN 15664 standards
- CW724R datasheet
- Brassland Compliance Centre
Frequently asked questions
What is WRAS approval?
How does a brass fitting get WRAS approval?
Is WRAS approval mandatory in the UK?
Sources & references
Potable-water references:
Last reviewed: June 2026. Standards and regulatory references are checked at each review.