A drive to stamp out 'unfixable tapware' has moved closer with a firm policy on standards being adopted by the Plumbing Distributors Association of NZ (PDA).

After months of consideration by the PDA's specially appointed tapware standards committee - and a number of open forums including importers and manufacturers - the PDA has adopted a strong stance.

It recommends that the current Australian-New Zealand standard, AS/NZS 3718.2003 is the standard for plumbing merchants to adopt.

Plumbing distributors wanted to manage standards for the ever increasing range of tapware available in New Zealand. Cheap imported tapware is tarnishing the reputation of the plumbing industry and fostering complaints from consumers and plumbers trying to fix "unfixable taps."

The PDA's stance of adopting the New Zealand tapware standard is not immediately hard and fast. In line with the committee's recommendation, it has decided there should be an allowance to give manufacturers and importers of tapware time to be able to comply and be accredited to the standard. The date is April 1, 2007.

In the interim period the PDA will be accepting three additional standards. They are NZS4611, EN817 and EN200, which were submitted by current New Zealand tapware suppliers.

The PDA says this final list will allow merchants to begin selling tapware that complies to a standard or standards immediately.

During its investigations, the committee found:

• That AS/NZS3718 is not mandatory in New Zealand.
• Territorial authorities may refuse tapware that does not comply with that standard "at any time".

The PDA concludes with a strong recommendation to all suppliers - start down the track of having tapware comply with AS/NZS3718.