Most membership fees have been fully funded by water companies since the scheme was set up in 2000. To be able to introduce new benefits such as online renewals and to make the scheme financially sustainable WIAPS has decided to introduce new annual fees to approved businesses . This means some of the costs to administer the scheme will be shared with approved WIAPS businesses.

Water companies will continue to provide funding for WIAPS, but sector businesses will be asked to contribute to the running costs of the scheme.

A new annual fee of £78 plus VAT will apply when sector businesses apply for membership or when these businesses renew their membership starting from 1^st April 2024.

Your business membership normally expires one month after your businesses' public liability insurance expires.

Unfortunately, your business will not be able to renew its membership with WIAPS.

This means your business will lose the benefits of membership, including no longer advertised as being members of WIAPS and no longer being listed on the WaterSafe website.

Individuals will no longer hold approved contractor status and may no longer self-certify works as compliant with Water Regulations, which may result in slower connections and/or further inspections of work. Notification will be required for all work listed in the Table of Regulations 5.

You should remove any WIAPS and/or WaterSafe logos you may be using from any literature, vehicles, websites and anywhere else you may be using them. You should return any unused Work Completed Certificates and individual members ID cards. The serial numbers have been allocated to individual members and will not be accepted by Water Companies. Please return ID cards and any unused certificates to:

WIAPS, 13 Willow Road, Pen y Fan Industrial Estate, Crumlin, Gwent, NP11 4EG

Re-applying for membership of the scheme is possible. Re-entry to the scheme will be subject to a new application for each individual, meeting the schemes requirements at the time of submitting an application which will require a new induction or membership audit.

The costs to administer sector businesses membership is more expensive than plumbing businesses for WIAPS. We feel its fairer that these businesses share and contribute to administration costs. Water companies will still be supporting all membership categories through annual subscriptions to WIAPS.

Sector approved contractors also have lower qualification requirements* to join the scheme and tend to get more benefits by having approved status.

*​ when compared to Approved Plumbers who typically study for at least 2 years to gain a level 2 plumbing qualification, in addition to their water fittings qualification.

Any business that employs sector workers will need to pay to when they apply for membership or when they renew membership. Those classed as sectors are:

• External services installers, sometimes called Water Supply Pipe Installers or groundworkers
• Catering Installers
• Point of use installers
• RPZ valve testers

If your business only has approved plumbers, you will not have to pay a renewal fee. However, if your business has approved plumbers registered and at least one approved sector worker from the list above, an annual fee will apply