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:
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.
IAPMO®, a global team of experts engaging industry and government for a safer built environment, and its charitable foundation, the International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation (IWSH®), are proud to celebrate 10 years as a WorldSkills Global Industry Partner. IAPMO and IWSH celebrated the milestone this week at the annual General Assembly of WorldSkills International Members in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
A first-of-its-kind workshop for African World Plumbing Council (WPC) member organizations was held alongside the WorldSkills Africa 2025 capacity-building program for Plumbing, hosted at the Fountain Gate Craft & Trades School in Lusaka, Zambia, from Sept. 1-5. This workshop assembled a team of proactive WPC representatives from Zambia, South Africa, and Rwanda for a first in-person meeting of WPC member organizations on the continent.
ASSE International is seeking working group members to update four professional qualification standards: ASSE 13000 Standard for Service Plumber and Residential Mechanical Service Technician; ASSE 15000 Standard for the Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems; ASSE 27000 Standard for Hybrid Fire Extinguishing Systems Personnel; and ASSE 29000 Standard for Personnel Related to Safe Pressure Testing of Piping Systems.