The most controversial topic of the Plumbing Supply Forum 2009, held at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, Australia was the WELS Scheme and whether it is meeting industry expectations.

After an Autumn edition Plumbing Connection cover story reporting the growing concern of industry with WELS (Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards Scheme), Tiffany Dickinson Senior Program Officer, WELS Scheme (DEWHA) stood up to clarify a few points and make clear the WELS position.

WELS is a government initiative that requires selected water using products to have a star rating relating to its efficiency. Of late, the merits of this rating system have come under intense scrutiny by the plumbing industry at large.

However, by the time Tiffany had finished her presentation, she had won over much of the crowd and even received a round of applause when she mentioned that the Department of Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA) had made a legislative bid to amend the WELS Act 2005 to provide for 3rd party certification (including WaterMark) as a prerequisite of the Scheme. Confirmation is necessary before this goes ahead to ensure there are no adverse regulatory impacts for stakeholders.

Tiffany gave a brief history of WELS, explaining that it was still in relative infancy, but was moving towards stronger enforcement with a growing number of inspectors with the capacity to issue infringement notices.

She also explained that although the investigations into infringements are confidential, outcomes can be publicised as there is a public interest in non-compliance.

One element that she did try to make very clear was that WELS is not the only program or section within the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts that has compliance considerations. Therefore they must take a departmental-wide approach; those who infringe upon plumbing regulations will be dealt with in the same way as people who infringe on electrical regulations.

In a friendly slight to fellow presenter Graeme Phillipson who mentioned in his presentation that few people were aware of WELS, Tiffany stated that in her department’s research 52% of the population possessed the relevant knowledge.

The scheme is due for review after the first five years of operation in 2011; meanwhile the program will potentially continue to expand through whitegoods, plumbing products and additional products including instantaneous gas, domestic irrigation controllers and evaporative air coolers.

Finally, Tiffany made the point that while WELS is not perfect it is constantly striving to improve.

“This scheme is the first of its kind internationally and a new initiative for government. People recognise its limitations and failings, but we do address them in order to create a better scheme.”