Water fittings: preventing backflow of water from toilet cisterns
Applies to England and Wales
Detail of feedback received
This consultation closed on 3 October 2022. We received 42 responses to the consultation. Not all respondents answered all questions.
We analysed responses on proposed changes to 11 specifications to:
- protect human health from contaminated drinking water
- reflect modern toilet designs
We made more amendments to our proposed specifications.
We notified the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the European Union of a potential technical barrier to trade. The notification to the EU is required under the Northern Ireland Protocol because these changes are relevant to compliance in Northern Ireland.
We received no comments from these notifications.
Responses to the call for evidence on faulty toilet valves covered a variety of areas reflecting the range of respondents’ experiences.
Most agreed that government should take action to reduce the impact of leaking toilets. Preferences on the approach were tightly clustered with no clear favoured option.
Evidence and comments provided will allow Defra to have follow up conversations on the content of any proposed changes. Preliminary discussions with core stakeholders are already taking place.
The summary of responses and the government response to them, along with the final regulator specifications and test code sheets, are expected to be published in summer 2024.
Consultation description
We want to know what you think about Defra’s proposed changes to 11 specifications made under the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999.
These regulations are needed to protect human health from contaminated drinking water. We need to update the specifications to reflect modern toilet designs.
One change will introduce a new backflow prevention arrangement in the toilet cistern. Another will introduce a new test to ensure that water from the toilet pan cannot contaminate the water in the cistern.
The other changes will make the rules consistent and clearer and focus on how a product must perform.
We also want to gather evidence on faulty toilet valves that cause a loss of water and look at what could be done to improve these products.
Last updated 24 January 2024 + show all updates
-
Feedback details have been updated to include a brief summary of responses to the ‘call for evidence’ on leaking toilets, and to amend the expected timeframe for the government response to summer 2024.
-
The response to this consultation has been delayed.
-
The response to this consultation has been delayed.
-
First published.