Inside an Expanded Water and Plumbing Testing Laboratory in Italy

Key Points

• UL Solutions has expanded its Carugate, Italy, campus to add capacity for customers developing water and plumbing products for international markets.
• UL Solutions has brought mechanical plumbing product testing closer to European manufacturers, with specialized equipment for evaluating the performance and durability of faucets, valves and other plumbing products.
• The expansion builds on Carugate's existing testing and certification capabilities, giving manufacturers access to a broader range of services at one location.

UL Solutions supports manufacturers of water and plumbing materials, products and technologies with testing, inspection and certification services that help them demonstrate compliance with evolving requirements for product safety, drinking water quality, performance, materials and documentation. Demonstrating compliance with applicable requirements can enable manufacturers to access international markets.

To meet growing customer demand in Europe, UL Solutions has added new water, plumbing and performance testing capabilities to its Carugate, Italy, campus near Milan. The facility's new laboratory gives manufacturers access to testing expertise and technical support closer to where they design and produce their products.

The 170-square-meter (approximately 1,830-square-foot) laboratory provides testing capacity for manufacturers throughout Europe, supporting safety, durability and performance evaluations and certification activities for products that come into contact with drinking water. These products include faucets, shower valves, fittings, flexible hoses, pumps, appliances, backflow prevention devices and water treatment systems.

By adding mechanical plumbing product testing to the Carugate campus, UL Solutions is expanding its regional offerings alongside existing testing and certification services for electrical and material safety, product performance and other regulatory requirements.

Investing in Capabilities Customers Need

Manufacturers today often seek clearer, earlier visibility into applicable requirements, materials considerations and documentation needs before the final product is submitted for approval.

The Carugate expansion is designed to respond to those needs by adding regional capacity and technical support for plumbing products intended for international markets. The laboratory has been recognized by WRAS, the Water Regulations Approval Scheme.

UL Solutions' Carugate campus now offers two specialized life cycle and endurance testing stations for faucets and valves, as well as six versatile performance testing stations for mechanical plumbing products. These stations help experts evaluate performance under demanding conditions.

The facility brings mechanical performance testing, regulatory insight, certification support and certification tracking into one regional location. The team includes two test engineers, three technical experts and a wider specialist network with more than 50 years of combined regional experience in plumbing product testing, certification, regulatory compliance and market access programs.

From left, UL Solutions leaders Fabio Pozzi, senior business manager for water systems; Christian Kurdy, director and global industry leader for water systems; and Davide Atzeni, director and regional general manager, EMEA, for appliances, HVAC and lighting, participate in the Sept. 17 ribbon-cutting ceremony for the company's new water and plumbing testing laboratory in Carugate, Italy.

UL Solutions hosted a ceremony in Carugate in September to celebrate the expansion of capabilities that support customers in an industry where safety, performance and public health are closely connected.

The recent investment reflects UL Solutions' focus on strengthening services that can help customers navigate complexity, innovate with confidence and efficiently access global markets.

More information about UL Solutions' services is available on the Drinking Water Quality Testing service page at UL.com.