A domestic water submittal arrives with one line under materials: “lead-free brass”. Is that enough to approve the valve? No. “Lead-free” is only a content claim: NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 covers lead content, NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 covers what the product releases into the water, and the evidence a reviewer needs is a certification body’s current listing that names the exact model and size range.
What each standard proves
NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 covers lead content only. It limits lead to a 0.25% weighted average across the wetted surfaces of most components, limits solder and flux to 0.2%, and sets the calculation and verification method. NSF itself notes that most regulations also require a separate extraction, or leaching, test.
NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 is the health-effects standard. It limits lead and other contaminants that can migrate from a product into drinking water. Section 8 covers mechanical devices such as in-line valves; Section 9 covers mechanical plumbing devices in the last litre of the system, such as faucets, stop valves and flexible connectors. Since January 1, 2024, Section 9 certification has required the tighter 2020 lead-leaching criteria, a statistical dose called the Q value: 1 µg for endpoint devices instead of 5 µg, and 0.5 µg for supply stops and connectors instead of 3 µg. In-line mechanical devices were not part of that change.
The practical point: a 372 certificate does not show that a valve passed a leaching test. NSF states that products certified to NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 also comply with NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 unless exempted under the US Safe Drinking Water Act, so for potable service the 61 listing is the document to request. Both standards carry the CAN designation and are listed in the Standards Council of Canada standards database.
How the 0.25% weighted average works
The US Safe Drinking Water Act sets out the method in 42 U.S.C. 300g-6(d): for each wetted component, multiply its lead percentage by its share of the product’s total wetted surface area, then add the results. Where a material’s lead content is specified as a range, the maximum of the range is used.
A worked example for a 1-inch ball valve, with illustrative areas:
| Wetted component | Wetted area (cm²) | Share of total | Max lead in material spec | Weighted lead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body and end piece, low-lead brass | 62 | 0.62 | 0.25% | 0.155% |
| Ball, leaded forging brass (C37700, 1.5 to 2.5% Pb) | 18 | 0.18 | 2.5% | 0.450% |
| Stem, same leaded brass | 4 | 0.04 | 2.5% | 0.100% |
| Seats and O-rings (PTFE, EPDM), assumed lead-free | 16 | 0.16 | 0% | 0.000% |
| Total | 100 | 1.00 | 0.705%, fails |
The body is low-lead, yet the valve fails. Make the ball and stem from the same 0.25% alloy and the total becomes 0.155 + 0.045 + 0.010 = 0.21%, which passes. In a real review every figure, including the seals, comes from the supplier’s material data. A “lead-free body” line says nothing about the trim, and an EN 10204 3.1 certificate can show the chemistry of a material heat but is not a third-party listing for the finished valve.
Canada, US, UK and EU: different legal routes
| Region | Legal basis | What applies to valves in drinking water | Evidence to ask for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | National Plumbing Code of Canada, the basis for every province’s and territory’s plumbing rules | Potable-water fittings must meet ASME A112.18.1/CSA B125.1 and CSA B125.3, which call for both NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 and 372 (Health Canada) | NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 and 372 listing for the exact model |
| United States | Safe Drinking Water Act Section 1417 and EPA’s Lead Free Rule (40 CFR 143, Subpart B) | 0.25% weighted average since January 4, 2014; certification enforceable since September 1, 2023 | Listing from an ANSI-accredited certifier; NSF reports that all major model plumbing codes require NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 certified products |
| UK (England and Wales) | Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999, Regulation 4 | Every fitting must be of an appropriate quality and standard, 4(1)(a), and suitable for the circumstances in which it is used, 4(1)(b) | WRAS Approval or another route showing 4(1)(a) compliance, with the supplied model listed |
| European Union | Drinking Water Directive (EU) 2020/2184, Article 11 | From December 31, 2026: European positive lists, with metallic compositions in Annex II of Decision (EU) 2024/367, and EU conformity assessment under Regulation (EU) 2024/370 | EU declaration of conformity; products with a national certificate still valid on December 31, 2026 move to the EU procedures from December 31, 2032 |
In the US, manufacturers with 10 or more employees must use third-party certification, and the exemptions are specific: products used exclusively for non-potable services (including products clearly labelled “Not for use with water for human consumption”), named items such as toilets, fire hydrants and water distribution main gate valves 2 inches and larger, and a further list that includes fire suppression sprinklers. In the UK, WRAS describes its approval as voluntary and one route to Regulation 4(1)(a); it is not a judgement on suitability under 4(1)(b), it covers only the models listed, it runs for five years, and rebranded products go through a secondary approval. In Canada, the NPC is a model code: the 2025 edition was released in December 2025, and the NRC directs users to the provincial or territorial authority to confirm which code applies.
As with fire protection listings, read the certifier’s directory, not the brochure. Healthcare jobs add their own layer, covered in our hospital HVAC and plumbing valve guide.
Submittal checklist for potable-water valves
- Listing, not logo. Pull the entry from the certifier’s online directory and match the model or series and the size range being supplied.
- Right standard. NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 for health effects, with 372 for lead content, or the regional equivalent.
- Whole assembly. Body, ball or disc, stem and end connectors are all wetted; a body-only material statement is not evidence.
- Same product as listed. Ask how the certifier covers rebranded or private-label valves.
- Service matches any exemption. A US non-potable exemption only holds where the water is not anticipated for human consumption.
- Site segregation. Tag and store heating-only valves away from domestic water stock, because the same body pattern can be supplied in both versions.
- EU projects from December 31, 2026. Ask for the EU declaration of conformity, or the national certificate relied on during the transition.
Get a potable-water valve schedule checked
Send us the valve schedule with the service for each line (domestic water, heating or process), sizes, end connections and the specified standards, and we will check each line against the listing requirements before quoting. Browse our brass ball valves and HVAC valves, then request a quote or write to info@valve-atlas.com.
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