32
EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
SA Watermark officially
off the ground
The Gauteng launch, held at the Plumblink showroom in
Midrand on 5 March 2019, was well attended by about
50 industry stakeholders.
By Benjamin Brits
Presented to merchants, suppliers, and manufacturers
of the plumbing industry, the new register-based system
is set not only to make the lives of plumbers, architects,
and specifiers easier, but it is aiding the testing and
certification industry to be more price competitive.
Presenter Herman Strauss, executive director of the SA Watermark.
Herman Strauss, executive director of the South African Watermark (SAW),
gave attendees an overview of the SAW concept, which is based on an
easily accessible register of products in South Africa that meet South
African National Standards (SANS) regulations. The register is accessible
through an app that is available for download from your app store, as well
as from on any desktop device through an Internet browser.
Although a voluntary scheme, industry stakeholders are invited to get
their products listed on the register, as the foundation of the system
is the solution that it offers to the problems that plumbers experience
when trying to identify and install products that are compliant.
Typically, when audits are done, the non-compliant products need to
be replaced at the cost of the plumber when, in fact, the plumbers
have no authentic way of establishing the legality of a product.
The Gauteng launch was well attended by various industry
stakeholders.
Further to the selection and installation by plumbers, architects and
specifiers can evaluate a range of compliant elements through a
simple search, for example taps — where all of the compliant taps
listed on the register would be displayed. Additional information
per brand may also be available, depending on what detail the
manufacturer or supplier has made available to the SAW, such
as images and diagrams. SAW’s level of transparency will further
extend to all users, including contractors and consumers.
Products listed with the SAW will be graded according to a star
rating, dependent on the choice of the manufacturer or supplier,
and once approved, the logo (as illustrated in this article) may
appear on the product or packaging.
A networking session followed the launch over some finger food.
April 2019 Volume 25 I Number 2
Even at a sole star rating, all users of the register can be
assured that products will be compliant with the relevant SANS
regulations, as the primary requirement to be listed is that
valid documented evidence exists to prove that the product in
question meets the minimum requirements.
www.plumbingafrica.co.za