G/TBT/N/SGP/35  
 
6 July 2017  
(17-3632) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member : SINGAPORE   
If applicable, name of local government involved  (Article 3.2 and 7.2) :  
2. Agency responsible:  PUB, The National Water Agency  
Nam e and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification  shall be indicated if different from above :  
Mr Tan Kah Kyee  
Principal Engineer  
Water Supply (Network) Department  
PUB Singapore  
40 Scotts Road, #10 -01 Environment Building  
Singapore 228231  
Tel: (65) 6731 3669 Fax: (65) 6731 3023  
Email: PUB_Waterfittings@pub.gov.sg  
Copying:  
Ms Goh Li  Hui 
Senior Assistant Director  
Water Policy Division  
Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources  
40 Scotts Road, #10 -01 Environment Building  
Singapore 228231  
Tel: (65) 6731 9827 Fax: (65) 6731 9456  
Email: MEWR -WPD-Perf@mewr.gov.sg  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  ], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [X], 5.7.1 [  ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable) :  
Products covered under Mandatory Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (MWELS) for potable 
water use:  
 Taps and mixers (basin/shower/sink/bib)  
 Dual-flush low capacity flushing cisterns  
 Urinal flush valves  
 Waterless urinals  
 Clothes Washing Machines Intended f or Household Use  
Product covered under Voluntary WELS (VWELS) for potable water use:  
 Showerheads  
National tariff headings: 8450.11.10, 8450.11.90, 8450.12.00, 8450.19.10, 8450.19.90, 
8450.20.00, 8481.80.59, 8481.80.91, 8481.90.21, 6910.10.00  G/TBT/N/SGP/35  
 
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  5. Title, num ber of pages  and language(s)  of the notified document:   
Annex A – Workflow on the certification of WELS product s by accredited CBs for WELS, 
1 page, English.  
Annex B – Public Utilities (Water Supply) (Amendme nt) Regulations 2017, 21  pages, 
English.  
Draft P ublic Utilities (Water Supply) (Amend ment No. 2) Regulations 2017, 2  pages, 
English - Notice will be published in the Republic of Singapore 's Government Gazette and 
on PUB 's website when adopted.   
6. Description of content:  Product compliance and issuance  of water efficiency label by 
Certification Bodies (CBs) for WELS accredited by the Singapore Accreditation Council 
(SAC) for products under MWELS and VWELS. The workflow on certification of WELS 
products and issuance of WELS labels by CBs is in Annex A.  
The requirements for water efficiency labelling is in Annex B.  
7. Objective and rationale , including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
Product compliance and issuance of water efficiency label by accredited Certification Bodies 
(CBs) for WELS  for products under MWELS and VWELS  
Singapore 's mandatory Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (WELS) was notified to the WTO 
on 14 November 2008 (in G/TBT/N/SGP/6).  
Under the current regime, suppliers are required to submit an online application to PUB 
together with complete and valid test certificates/reports by test labs accredited by 
Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC) or its Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA) 
partners for compliance certification and issuance of Water Efficiency Labels. PUB will 
check  the test reports thoroughly for product compliance to stipulated standards (to 
address water contamination, water wastage, durability aspects and determine water 
efficiency) before issuing a Water Efficiency Label for the product.  
To improve administrativ e efficiency, PUB plans to transfer the functions of checking for 
product compliance and issuance of Water Efficiency Labels to accredited CBs for WELS. 
Under this new regime, suppliers will apply and submit test reports directly to the CBs for 
certificati on of product compliance and issuance of WELS label for a nominal processing 
fee. The CBs will then upload the information of certified product and the labels into PUB 's 
backend system to maintain a central register of certified labelled products, before P UB 
publish the products in PUB 's WELS website.  
The new process is trade facilitative in nature and is expected to half the current 
processing time to obtain a Water Efficiency Label. This implies that the suppliers can get 
their products labelled faster th an previously as they have multiple CBs to choose from, as 
opposed to the current regime where processing is done strictly by PUB only.  
This notification does not contain any change to the current test standards and 
requirements that products would have to  meet in determining their water efficiency 
levels.  
8. Relevant documents:   
Annex A – Workflow on the certification of WELS product s by accredited CBs for WELS, 
1 page, English.  
Annex B – Public Utilities (Water Supply) ( Amendment) Regulations 2017, 21  pages, 
English.  
Draft Public Utilities (Water Supply) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations 2017, 2  pages, 
English - Notice will be published in the Republic of Singapore 's Government Gazette and 
on PUB 's website when adopted.   
9. Proposed date of adoption:  Notice will be published prior to the date of entry into force.  
Proposed date of entry into force: 1 March 2018  G/TBT/N/SGP/35  
 
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  10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from : National enquiry point  [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
number s and email and website address es, if available , of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2017/TBT/SGP/17_3073_00_e.PDF