🔥 Lead Free WaterMark Plumbing Products Are the New Normal (But the ABCB Just Delayed Enforcement)
✅ Direct takeaway: The ABCB has agreed that existing non-lead-free WaterMark products can still be installed until 1 May 2028.
😬 That means the lead-free shift just got slower, easier to dodge, and harder to police.
🔧 First, what "lead-free" actually means
🟦 “Lead-free” does not mean zero lead.
🟦 Under the Plumbing Code of Australia 2022, lead-free means ≤ 0.25% weighted average lead content for products that contact drinking water.
💡 That limit exists because water isn’t “just water”. It’s tea, ice, baby bottles, the lot.
🧱 What the ABCB decided (the dates you must remember)
📌 The ABCB Board met on 15 December 2025.
📌 The Public Record was published on 19 December 2025.
Here’s what they locked in.
📅 The new timeline (simple, blunt, important)
🏭 From 1 May 2026, manufacturing non-lead-free lines stops
If a product line does not hold a Lead Free WaterMark, it can’t be manufactured under current arrangements.
🧾 From 1 May 2026 — licences can be suspended
Any product line not recertified with a lead-free WaterMark by 1 May 2026 can have its WaterMark licence suspended.
If suspended, it becomes unable to be installed.
🔁 From 1 May 2026 to 1 May 2028 — “sell-down installs” continue
Only existing stock in hand from current WaterMark-certified product lines can continue to be installed.
This is specifically to support the sell-down of stock already in the market.
⛔ No more extensions
The Board confirmed no further extensions beyond 1 May 2028.
😡 The real issue: the risk got pushed downstream
👷 The extension sounds “reasonable” until you see who carries the burden. It’s the Licensed Plumber. Again.
⚠️ That creates a nasty grey zone:
✅Two products that look identical
🔥One is legal, one isn’t
🔥Same supplier, same shelf, same jobsite pressure
🔥And a clock ticking while the client stands there watching.
On busy sites, people rush. That’s when mistakes happen.
🔍 "So what should I look for?"
✅ Look for the Lead Free WaterMark trademark.
✅ Check the WaterMark licence number against the official register.
✅ If it touches drinking water, don’t guess. Verify.
🧠 Simple rule: If you can’t confirm it, don’t install it.
Not worth the stress. Not worth the comeback. Not worth the reputation hit.
💥 Why this extension can backfire hard
📦 Long sell-down windows invite “creative” stock movement
❌ Surplus stock finds a home.
❌ It gets discounted.
❌ It gets redirected.
❌ It pops back up where it shouldn’t.
🌏 There’s also a real risk of surplus stock being redirected into Australia, including from New Zealand.
❌ That’s not drama. It’s how markets behave when deadlines loosen.
🐢 It rewards delay
❌ Some brands already did the hard work.
❌ They invested. They retooled. They recertified.
❌ This extension gives slower operators more time to keep moving old products.
At every level, this is frustrating. And honestly, it’s not fair, as enforcement will be legislated back to the plumber on the job doing the installation.
Plumbers are once again being forced to be the bad cop.
🏠 What this means for Gold Coast homeowners and property managers
💧 If you’re renovating, upgrading a bathroom, fitting a fridge line, or replacing mixers, every aspect of this matters.
😬 Real-world risks you want to avoid:
❌ Paying for “new” tapware that is actually old stock
❌ Mixed cartons and swapped products on site
❌ Compliance headaches later
❌ That lingering doubt when your kids fill a bottle.
Water is personal. And once doubt is there, it doesn’t leave easily.
From 1 January 2026, every valve and tap we install will be Lead Free WaterMark certified. Because it touches your drinking water, and we won’t gamble with that.
This also removes confusion around old stock, mixed cartons, and shifting deadlines. If it’s not Lead Free WaterMark, we won’t fit it.
Want peace of mind? Ask our plumber to show you the Lead Free WaterMark on the packaging before install.
✅ What we recommend (fast, practical, no fluff)
🧍 If you’re a homeowner
📌 Ask this before work starts:
“Will every drinking water product be Lead Free WaterMark-certified?”
📸 Ask for proof:
Packaging photos before install (tapware, valves, mixers)
🛒 Avoid risky buys:
Cheap online tapware with vague certification claims
⏸️ Pause if unsure:
One day delay beats years of second-guessing
🏢 If you manage strata or rentals
🧾 Add one line to scopes:
“Lead Free WaterMark required for all drinking water contact products.”
🧩 Request simple evidence:
A short compliance note on invoices
🔁 Standardise where possible:
Same approved product lines across the building.
Less confusion. Fewer mistakes. Cleaner audits.
👷 If you’re a builder or installer
🧰 Build a “2026–2028” site checklist
Keep it in the ute
Share it with apprentices
🧾 Verify every time
Check the mark, then confirm the licence number
Don’t rely on “supplier said”.
🗃️ Quarantine older stock
Label it clearly
Keep it separate.
Old stock drifting between jobs is how trouble starts.
🧡 Where Whywait stands
🤝 We understand supply pressure. However, we don’t like grey areas that penalise good plumbing businesses.
Lead free WaterMark plumbing is ultimately about health. In reality, plumbing is a vital component of the healthcare system.
We want:
✅ Clear guidance for licensed plumbers
✅ Strong consumer protections
✅ A fair playing field.
Because “close enough” plumbing can look perfect…
Right up until it doesn’t.
Lead Free WaterMark Plumbing Quick FAQ's (scannable, helpful, honest)
✅ Can non-lead-free WaterMark products still be installed after 1 May 2026?
✅ What happens if a product line isn't recertified by 1 May 2026?
✅ What should I look for?
✅ Does "lead-free" mean zero lead?
