Do you have questions about an RPZ test carried out in June?

If your RPZ valve was tested before the rules changed on the 1st of July, you may be concerned about a test certificate being accepted by the local water undertaker

Ultimately it is the local water company’s decision whether an RPZ test report is acceptable,  but details of some of the checks you can make are given below:  

Is the certificate within the validity period

To be considered valid certification must be received by the local undertaker within 10 working days of a test being completed.

This means if the test was completed by a competent person on the 30^th June the report has to be with the local water undertaker by the 14^th July.

It must also contain all the necessary detail, which is why a tester must be competent.

Was the RPZ tester competent to test?

To be considered as competent an RPZ tester must hold a recognised qualification.

The quickest and easiest way to confirm this is to use the WaterSafe Register RPZ valve tester search facility, to check whether your tester is a member.  This website only lists RPZ testers who hold one of these qualifications.

Some RPZ testers with recognised qualifications are not members of a competent person scheme, therefore won’t be listed. Typically, local water undertakers require these testers to obtain prior confirmation their reports will be acceptable – if in doubt contact your water undertaker.

What if the test equipment didn’t satisfy the new requirements?

Testing using a pressure differential gauge which doesn’t meet the new minimum criteria is permitted up until the 30^th of June. Testing using a manometer (a u-tube arrangement) has not been allowed since the 1^st of January 2026.

From the 1^st of July to be acceptable testing must be completed using test equipment which meets the new requirements.

From the 1^st of July the Water Safe Register will only list RPZ testers using this type of equipment.