Japan's First Accredited WQA Contract Testing Laboratory. MIZUKEN to Support Domestic Manufacturers in Obtaining NSF Certification from WQA within Japan

MIZUKEN Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, hereinafter "MIZUKEN") has been accredited as Japan's first contract testing laboratory for the Water Quality Association (WQA). This accreditation enables testing for NSF standards to be conducted within Japan, allowing manufacturers of plumbing materials and water purifiers to reduce transportation costs and testing times associated with requesting tests in the United States.

Overview of WQA Accreditation

Accrediting Body: Water Quality Association (WQA)

Scope of Accreditation: Third-party verification of the following NSF standards

NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 Section 8 (Mechanical Device) Evaluates whether materials, components, and products that come into contact with drinking water leach harmful chemicals into the water Health effects standard

NSF/ANSI/CAN 372 Lead Content Evaluation Standard that specifies the lead content in products that come into contact with drinking water

NSF/ANSI 42 Material Evaluation Performance standard for water purifiers that improve the aesthetic effects of drinking water

*2026-2028 Certificate

Supporting Overseas Expansion for Domestic Manufacturers

NSF Standards Adopted Worldwide

NSF standards are adopted in all administrative districts of all 50 states in the U.S. and 13 provinces/territories in Canada. Compliance with these standards is mandatory, and all plumbing materials and water supply equipment sold in the U.S. and Canada must bear the NSF certification mark.

Major Certification Bodies

Currently, representative organizations that can issue certifications indicating compliance with NSF standards include the following:

1 NSF International (National Sanitation Foundation) *2)

2 WQA (Water Quality Association)

3 IAPMO (International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials)

Previous Challenges

None of the three organizations above had accredited contract testing laboratories in Japan. Previously, Japanese manufacturers of water supply equipment, water purifiers, etc., had to send samples to the U.S. and communicate with U.S. entities to obtain NSF certification for their products.

What MIZUKEN Will Achieve

From now on, for obtaining NSF certification through WQA, our company will perform the testing operations on behalf of WQA. This will reduce transportation costs and time for our Japanese customers, as well as shorten the testing period. Furthermore, we will now be able to offer an R&D Test (pre-test) scheme to customers aiming for WQA certification.

Click here for details

Information on WQA Gold Seal Certification Services is available below:

▶ https://mizuken.com/認証サポート/wqa-ゴールドシール認証/

* WQA Gold Seal Logo Design

*1) WQA (Water Quality Association) is a non-profit organization founded in 1974 for the household, commercial, and industrial water treatment industry. Representing over 2,500 member companies worldwide, its mission is to raise awareness and knowledge about water quality and improve quality of life through sustainable technologies and services. Members include equipment manufacturers, suppliers, retailers, and distributors that provide water quality improvement products and services.

*2) NSF International is a non-profit organization established in 1944 that provides third-party assurance of safety for food, water, consumer products, and more.

About MIZUKEN

MIZUKEN Co., Ltd. is a specialized company in the water environment field that provides a comprehensive range of services, including analysis and testing of water quality, environment, and food, as well as water purifier testing, leaching tests for plumbing materials, and certification support. Leveraging its analytical techniques and testing know-how cultivated over many years, the company supports customer product development and overseas expansion through testing services that comply with domestic and international standards and certifications.

Corporate Site ▶https://mizuken.com/