Master Plumbers welcomes an extension in the transition to the use of lead free plumbing products in New Zealand, but wants more to be done to give consumers confidence.

“We want to see compulsory 'lead free' marking being placed either on the product or the packaging of relevant plumbing products, to allow consumers and tradespeople to easily identify that they are lead-free and compliant,” Master Plumbers chief executive Greg Wallace says.

In April, the Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment (MBIE) consulted to extend the transition period end date for the sale and manufacture of plumbing products containing more than 0.25% lead—the new allowable limit following recent updates to the Building Code—from 1 September, 2025, to 1 May, 2026, to align with the transition period end date in Australia.

“This makes good common sense, but we need that common sense to apply to the compliance of lead free products too,” he says.  

Compulsory marking would allow for the policing of non-compliant or falsely declared products through Commerce Commission regulations. As it stands, the current building product information requirement (BPIR) regulations rely on self-reporting and do not have a proactive enforcement system in place—which is particularly concerning for the regulation of online retailers that may be importing international products.

“The product information regime is toothless,” Mr Wallace says.

“It is the plumber installing the product who is held responsible, so installers should have a way to easily determine if the product is compliant. We require all water-using products to display a WELS rating determining its efficiency, why not a lead free guarantee?”

He says existing international schemes, such as the Australian WaterMark product certification, should comply – provided they are recognised and equivalent to New Zealand’s new lead free requirements.

It is good a decision has been made on the lead free transition extension as it will enable manufacturers, merchants and installers to plan and prepare, Mr Wallace says.