Create compliance checklists for your product (US, EU & UK)
Plumbing fixtures sold in the United States are subject to various regulations, such as 40 CFR Part 143 Subpart B, and standards. These regulations and standards, in turn, set requirements regarding substance restrictions, labeling, testing, and more.
It is essential that you ensure your plumbing fixtures do not pose risks to consumers, as unsafe plumbing fixtures may, for instance, expose them to lead and other harmful substances.
This guide explains how different regulations and standards apply to plumbing products such as faucets and urinals sold in the United States.
Product examples
- Kitchen faucets
- Showerheads
- Urinals
- Water closets
Content Overview
FREE CONSULTATION CALL (US, EU & UK)
- Request a free 30-minute call with Ivan Malloci to learn how we can help you with:
- Find product requirements
- Certification and labeling
- Lab testing
40 CFR Part 143 Subpart B – Use of Lead Free Pipes, Fittings, Fixtures, Solder, and Flux for Drinking Water
40 CFR Part 143 Subpart B, which is part of the Safe Drinking Water Act, sets lead-free requirements for plumbing products. According to this subpart, “fixtures” are devices or containers linked to a water supply, drainage system, or both, and “plumbing fittings” are plumbing devices that regulate water flow or direction.
This subpart covers fixtures, such as:
- Drinking water coolers
- Refrigerator ice and water dispensers
- Water tanks
It also covers plumbing fittings, such as:
- Kitchen faucets
- Bathroom lavatory faucets
- Manifolds
- Valves
This regulation exempts several products, including the following:
- Toilets
- Bidets
- Urinals
- Shower valves
- Fire suppression sprinklers
- Clothes washing machine
This subpart applies to importers, manufacturers, and people who install or repair public water systems or facilities that provide drinking water.
Finally, note that other parts of the Safe Drinking Water Act may also apply to plumbing fittings.
Substance restrictions
The subpart prohibits the use of pipes, plumbing fittings, fixtures, solder or flux that are not lead-free.
In this case, “lead-free” refers to:
a. Solder and flux that do not contain more than 0.2% lead, and
b. Wetted surface of fixtures, pipes, plumbing fittings, and fixtures that do not contain more than a weighted average of 0.25% lead
Certification
The regulation requires importers and manufacturers of fixtures and plumbing fittings to obtain product certification from third-party certification bodies accredited by ANSI stating that the product complies with the lead-free requirements.
Note, however, that individual components of fittings or fixtures do not need certification if the finished product has been certified lead-free.
Manufacturers may self-certify their products if they have fewer than 10 employees; in this case, they need to create a certificate of conformity, which should include:
a. Importer or manufacturer contact information:
- Name
- Street and mailing address
- Phone number
- Email address
b. List of products and their unique identifying information (e.g., model names, numbers)
c. A statement indicating compliance with the lead-free requirements of this subpart and the Safe Drinking Water Act, and the eligibility of the importer or manufacturer to self-certify their products
d. A statement explaining how the importer or manufacturer verified that their products conform to the requirements of this subpart and the Safe Water Drinking Act
e. The signatory’s name, date, and position
10 CFR Part 430 – Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products
10 CFR Part 430 sets energy conservation standards for consumer products that are designed to consume water and electricity. These products include plumbing products such as:
- Faucets
- Showerheads
- Urinals
- Water closets (flush toilets)
This section focuses only on plumbing products (e.g., showerheads), not electrical products.
Test procedural requirements
This part lists the two appendices to Subpart B of 10 CFR Part 430 that apply to plumbing fixtures:
a. Appendix S – It contains a uniform test method that measures the water consumption of faucets and showerheads.
b. Appendix T – It contains a uniform test method for water closets and urinals. The test method outlines the test apparatus, instructions, and test measurements.
Standards
If a standard is incorporated by reference into a regulation, then you are mandated to ensure your product complies with its requirements. 10 CFR Part 430 incorporates by reference the following standards for plumbing products:
ASME A112.18.1 – Plumbing supply fittings
ASME A112.19.2 – Ceramic plumbing fixtures
Note: ASME A112.19.2 applies to water closets and urinals, which are both “plumbing fixtures” as specified in Appendix T to Subpart B
10 CFR Part 431 – Energy Efficiency Program for Certain Commercial and Industrial Equipment
This part contains performance standards and design requirements for some types of commercial and industrial equipment. While it mainly covers electrical products, it also covers commercial pre-rinse spray valves, which are used to wash out food waste from dishes prior to dishwashing.
Test procedural requirements
10 CFR Part 431.264 contains a uniform procedure to test the spray force and the flow rate of a commercial prerinse spray valve.
Standards
You generally need to comply with standards that are incorporated by reference into regulations. We found only one standard that is incorporated by reference into 10 CFR Part 431, and it is relevant to plumbing products:
ASTM F2324 – Standard Test Method for Prerinse Spray Valves
10 CFR Part 429 – Certification, Compliance, and Enforcement for Consumer Products and Commercial And Industrial Equipment
10 CFR Part 429 sets documentation and certification requirements for products covered by 10 CFR Parts 430 and 431, including plumbing products
Certification Report
10 CFR Part 429.12 contains general requirements regarding certification reports. Besides that, there are also specific requirements for plumbing products:
- Part 429.28: Faucets
- Part 249.29: Showerheads
- Part 429.30: Water closets
- Part 429.31: Urinals
Annual filing
10 CFR Part 429 also requires manufacturers of covered products to submit the data listed in the certification report annually to the Department of Energy (DOE).
16 CFR Part 305 – Energy Labeling Rule
16 CFR Part 305 requires covered products to bear labels that aid consumers in comparing the water consumption of the following plumbing products:
- Showerheads
- Faucets
- Water closets
- Urinals
Note that 16 CFR Part 305 also covers electrical products.
Showerheads and faucets
Showerheads and faucets should bear a marking that indicates:
a. The flow rate, expressed in gallons per minute (gpm) or gallons per cycle (gpc), and litres per minute (L/min) or litres per cycle (L/cycle)
b. The manufacturer’s trade name or trademark
The packaging should bear a label that contains the same information.
Water closets and urinals
Water closets and urinals should bear markings that indicate:
a. The flow rate, expressed in gallons per flush (gpf), or litres per flush (Lpf)
b. The manufacturer’s name or trademark
The packaging and labeling should disclose the flow rate (in gpf and Lpf).
ASME Standards
The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is a global professional organization for engineers. It develops standards, such as those for plumbing fixtures. Here are some examples of those standards:
ASME A112.19.9M – Non-Vitreous Ceramic Plumbing Fixtures
ASME A112.18.2 – Plumbing waste fittings
ASME A112.19.2 – Ceramic plumbing fixtures
ASME A112.19.1 – Enamelled Cast Iron and Enamelled Steel Plumbing Fixtures
ASME A112.19.4M – Porcelain Enameled Formed Steel Plumbing Fixtures
Lab testing
Some regulations mandate that you subject your products to their test procedures, while other regulations may not have this requirement. Nevertheless, you should still get your plumbing fixtures tested to ensure they comply with the requirements in the standards and regulations. If your product passes testing, you should receive a test report from the lab proving product compliance.
| Regulation | Lab testing |
| 40 CFR Part 143 Subpart B – Use of Lead Free Pipes, Fittings, Fixtures, Solder, and Flux for Drinking Water | This regulation sets requirements for the use of lead-free pipes, fittings, fixtures, solder, and flux for drinking water.
Although we could find mention of “testing” in the regulation, you should still get your plumbing fittings and fixtures tested to ensure they are lead free. |
| 10 CFR Part 430 – Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products | This regulation sets energy conservation standards for plumbing products, such as showerheads and faucets. These products should undergo the regulation test procedures, which, for instance, aim at assessing products water consumption.
For example, you should use the test methods in ASME A112.19.2 to test urinals and water closets. |
| 10 CFR Part 431 – Energy Efficiency Program for Certain Commercial and Industrial Equipment | This regulation sets performance standards and design requirements for certain commercial and industrial equipment.
It covers commercial pre-rinse spray valves, which need to be tested against the requirements of ASTM F2324. |
| ASME Standards | Here are some examples of test methods from ASME standards that are relevant to plumbing fixtures:
|
Plumbing fixture testing companies
Here are some companies that claim they can test plumbing fixtures against the requirements of one or more of the above-mentioned regulations or standards:
- Intertek
- QIMA
- UL Solutions
- ICC NTA
- CSA Group
Additional Requirements
This section lists some additional requirements for plumbing products.
| Regulation | Description |
| California Proposition 65 | California Proposition 65 restricts the use of substances in consumer products. Plumbing fixtures may contain restricted substances, such as:
You should: a. Get your plumbing fixtures tested to ensure it does not contain any restricted substances over the permitted limits b. Affix a warning label to your product if you believe it may expose consumers to substances featured on the California Proposition 65 List. |
| 19 CFR Part 134 – Country of Origin Marking | You need to affix a country of origin label onto products imported or manufactured in the United States.
For example, if your plumbing fixture is made in Vietnam, the label could read: “Made in Vietnam. |
Recommended articles
Create compliance checklists for your product (US, EU & UK)
20+ product certificate templates
Create label files
Book product testing
