A recent NBC News investigation found that counterfeit plumbing products—many sold online and manufactured overseas—are entering the U.S. market with dangerous levels of lead and other chemical contaminants without proper testing and certification. These knockoff faucets can contaminate drinking water and pose a direct threat to public health.
In compelling testimony before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Aaron Todd Bores, executive vice president of product development for Moen Incorporated, detailed the public health dangers posed by counterfeit and noncompliant plumbing products entering the U.S. market.
To underscore these concerns, Moen collaborated with IAPMO®—a global leader in product testing and certification—to independently assess the safety and compliance of widely available off-brand faucets and valves sold online.
“We enlisted IAPMO, the industry benchmark for plumbing product testing, to evaluate the leading off-brand faucets available to American consumers,” Bores said. “The results were deeply concerning.”
Key findings from IAPMO’s independent testing included:
- 17 of 19 faucets tested failed to meet health and safety standards for drinking water.
- 11 products leached lead above allowable levels—one exceeding the legal limit by more than 500 percent.
- 15 units contained dangerous chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, and organ damage.
- In separate testing, all six foreign-made pressure balancing valves failed to meet ASSE 1016 standards, with one model exceeding safe temperature thresholds by 750 percent.
Moen also testified to the alarming misuse of legitimate certification marks—including those belonging to IAPMO—by counterfeit products marketed through major e-commerce platforms. As a result of the testimony and these findings, the government is recalling nine Chinese-made faucets sold on Amazon.
IAPMO encourages consumers to look for products that bear the cUPC® certification mark, which confirms independent testing and compliance with rigorous standards for health and performance.
IAPMO is committed to protecting the safety of our water systems through trusted codes, standards, and product certification. We encourage code officials, policymakers, and industry professionals to verify certification marks and educate stakeholders about the risks of uncertified plumbing fixtures.
