FITTING THOUGHT
1
SA joins WELS ISO-PC 316
Discussion Group
In a move reflecting a proactive approach to regulations setting,
Plumbing Africa, on 31 July, hosted an important meeting of
plumbing executives – the inaugural local working group – to
provide input to the international WELS (Water Efficiency Labelling
System) ISO -PC 316 discussion group.
Attended by approximately 16 industry representa-
tives, Herman Strauss, South Africa’s Iopsa and
SABS-nominated technical representative to the ISO
international committee, chaired the meeting with a
presentation on WELS, and requested participants to
provide him with their concerns and challenges to
pass on to the global body.
South Africa until recently had observer status at the
international ISO 316 discussion group, but has now been
upgraded to participant status.
The issue is water conservation, and WELS makes tough
demands – though whether these will be compulsory or
voluntary remains one of the points to be decided. How much
water an appliance or bathroom fitting uses can vary greatly
from one make or model to the next – for example, a water-
efficient clothes washer can use less than half the amount of
water per cycle as a same-sized inefficient model.
At issue is that South Africa’s various water standards are
hopelessly outdated, mostly providing minimum rather than
maximum water pressure requirements. This means any
product aiming to be water-efficient will most likely contravene
the SANS standard and consequently be illegal. The process
of complying with WELS will therefore entail a revision of the
following standards: SANS 226, SANS 821 , SANS 1021,
SANS 1480 (including 1480-09, 1480-16, 1480-30, 1480-35,
1480-37 and 1480-66), and SANS 1733.
The WELS label will display two key pieces of information:
• an internationally recognised star rating indicating relative
water efficiency
• a water use or water flow figure
document, is the Australian model. It aims at providing
consumers with information about how efficiently products such
as washing machines, showers and taps use water – via labels
on new products in shops and showrooms. The same process
has already been implemented in South Africa for energy-
efficient appliances, and it was noted that energy efficiency was
seldom a requirement of consumers, who were primarily price
conscious. It has made no discernible impact on consumer
choice of appliances. There is a risk that this new bureaucracy
may consequently add to cost while providing no benefit to
consumers.
The WELS label will apply to the following product classes:
• Clothes washing machines
• Dishwashers
• Lavatory equipment
• Showers
• Tap equipment
• Urinals equipment
• Flow controllers
• Combination washers/dryers
There may seem little point to standards if the consumer knows
nothing about them: nonetheless, using water more efficiently
has both economic and environmental benefits.
Many factors influence a consumer’s decision when
buying a new product, such as cost, brand, performance,
recommendations, and past experience. The aim of the
systems is to encourage consumers – and plumbers and
manufacturers – that saving water should also be a deciding
factor in determining the type of product they buy or install. It’s
a one-time purchase that will have an ongoing effect on water
use for years.
Each product label displays a star rating out of six – the more
stars, the more water efficient (and therefore lower water
flow). In South Africa, these standards were all developed in
isolation, and WELS will offer an opportunity to synchronise
them. Some of the challenges highlighted were that not all
appliances and valves were suited to low-flow water efficiency
(such as showers, garden taps and certain valves) and would
consequently automatically have a poor rating – these would
still be specified by architects and consulting engineers. Water is an increasingly expensive commodity, and like
electricity before it, is likely to become even more expensive.
Conserving water can reduce your water charges for those
living in an area that uses water meters. It’s important not to
waste water. Our dams and rivers are feeling the pressure of
a growing population and resulting change in the way we use
water. PA
The WELS system, which establishes the basis discussion Eamonn Ryan, Editor
September 2019 Volume 25 I Number 7
Eamonn
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