Our taps and showers carry two sets of numbers: a WELS star rating with a flow in litres per minute, and a WaterMark licence. Most stores print them. Few explain them, and fewer explain what they mean in New Zealand.
This guide does both: what the schemes are, what each number means for the tap in your bathroom, and how to read the specification table on every Invogue tapware page. It ends with the full list of our products' ratings and licences, exactly as they appear on our product pages.
WELS stars rate water use: more stars, less water. WaterMark is a product certification your plumber can rely on to show a tap meets the Building Code. Lead free means no more than 0.25% lead in the parts that touch drinking water, the G12/AS1 limit. Five of our tap models are Lead Free WaterMark certified.
- WELS stars tell you water efficiency: more stars, less water. For taps, 5 Star means more than 4.5 and up to 6 litres a minute. In New Zealand, taps and showers must show their rating where they are sold, in store and online.
- L/min is the tested flow rate. Our basin mixers are 5 Star at 6.0 L/min; our Porto kitchen mixer is 4 Star at 6.5 L/min.
- WaterMark is a certification for plumbing products. In New Zealand, taps and showers must meet the Building Code (clause G12), and since 1 October 2025 MBIE recognition notices accept the products in listed WaterMark certificates as meeting it, so your plumber and building consent authority can accept them. Our mixer licence (WM-022467) and shower licence (WM-022555) are both listed.
- Every Invogue tap, shower and waste lists its WELS rating (where it has one) and its WaterMark licence in its specification table. See them all below.
What WELS is
WELS stands for Water Efficiency Labelling and Standards. In New Zealand, water efficiency labelling is mandatory under the Consumer Information Standards (Water Efficiency) Regulations 2017, which the Commerce Commission enforces. Showers and taps must show their water rating where they are sold, and that applies online as well as in store: an online seller has to show the label, or the star rating, the water consumption and the intended water supply pressure (mains or low pressure) in text. Ratings are worked out under AS/NZS 6400:2016, the joint AS/NZS standard.
A WELS rating tells you three things:
- The star rating, to compare efficiency at a glance.
- The water use. For taps and showers, that's litres per minute.
- The intended water supply pressure: mains pressure or low pressure. Not sure which you have? See how to tell if your hot water is low pressure.
On our tap and shower pages, the star rating and flow are the first rows of the Details & specifications table.
What the stars mean
Each star band covers a range of flow, because a tap's flow changes with your water pressure. The more stars, the less water it uses. If a new tap feels weaker than the old one, our weak flow and leaking tap guide shows how to measure it with a jug.
| Taps | Water use |
|---|---|
| 6 Star | more than 1.1, up to 4.5 L/min |
| 5 Star | more than 4.5, up to 6 L/min |
| 4 Star | more than 6, up to 7.5 L/min |
| 3 Star | more than 7.5, up to 9 L/min |
Showers are rated on their own scale in the same standard. Ours are 3 Star: more than 7.5 and up to 9 litres a minute.
Every rated tap and shower we sell is 3 Star or better.
What L/min means for you
The flow on the label is how much water the tap or shower uses each minute. Lower means less water and less hot water to heat. The right number depends on the job:
- Bathroom basin. The WELS scheme's guidance suggests 5 or 6 Star, because you only wash hands and faces. Our Vienna Short, Vienna Tall and Milano wall spout and mixer are 5 Star at 6.0 L/min.
- Kitchen and laundry. The WELS scheme's guidance notes that a 3 or 4 Star tap gives enough flow to fill a pot or sink. Our Porto pull-out is 4 Star at 6.5 L/min, and the Como is 5 Star at 6.0 L/min (compare them in our kitchen mixer guide).
- Shower. Our shower outlets are 3 Star: 8.0 L/min for the Corsica, Bordeaux and Lyon, and 8.5 L/min for the Versailles hand shower.
Why do some mixers have no star rating? A wall mixer such as our Milano Wall Mixer or Cannes diverter has no outlet of its own. Water leaves through the shower or spout it supplies, so the rating belongs to that outlet.
WaterMark in New Zealand
WaterMark is a certification scheme for plumbing and drainage products. In New Zealand, plumbing products have to meet the New Zealand Building Code: clause G12 (Water Supplies) covers taps and showers, and G13 (Foul Water) covers wastes. Where your work needs a building consent, the council checks it.
Since 1 October 2025, MBIE (the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) has recognised WaterMark-certified products through recognition notices made under the Building Act 2004. A product is covered when its WaterMark certificate is listed in a notice, and it is treated as meeting the relevant Building Code clauses, G12 included, when it is installed to the conditions in its certificate and the maker's instructions. For tapware certified to AS 3718:2021, recognition notice RN-10009 covers clauses B2 (Durability), F2 (Hazardous Building Materials) and G12, so your plumber and building consent authority can accept it as meeting them.
A certified product is marked with the WaterMark, its licence number and the product standard it meets. On our pages you'll see it written as, for example, WM-022467:
| Our licence | Product type | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| WM-022467 | Tap ware | Basin, kitchen and wall mixers, and the Cannes diverter |
| WM-022555 | Showers (AS/NZS 3662) | Corsica, Bordeaux, Lyon and Versailles |
| WM-040211 | Waste fittings | Lisbon waste, Firenze trap and Granada floor waste |
Our mixer licence, WM-022467, is listed in MBIE recognition notice RN-10009 (WaterMark tapware). Our shower licence, WM-022555, is listed in RN-10001 (WaterMark showers).
You can check any licence on the public WaterMark product database. Search by licence number, brand, model or licensee.
Why your plumber needs it
In New Zealand, sanitary plumbing must be done by a person authorised under the Plumbers, Gasfitters, and Drainlayers Act 2006, such as a licensed plumber, and the finished work has to meet the Building Code. A product covered by an MBIE recognition notice, installed to its conditions, is treated as meeting the relevant Building Code clauses, which gives your plumber, and your council where a consent is needed, a clear way to show the tap or shower complies.
So before you buy online, find the WaterMark licence on the page. If a store doesn't show one, ask. Ours is in the spec table of every tap, shower and waste, and on the spec sheet you can download from the same page.
Lead-Free Tapware in New Zealand
The Building Code’s Acceptable Solution G12/AS1 limits lead in plumbing products that touch drinking water to no more than 0.25% (weighted average), from 2 May 2026.
Five of our models, the Vienna Short, Vienna Tall, Milano Wall Mixer, Milano Wall Spout Plus Wall Mixer and Como, in all six finishes, are certified under Australia’s Lead Free WaterMark scheme (WM-022467). That certification is an accepted way to show the Building Code lead limit (G12/AS1, ≤0.25%) is met.
Lead free doesn’t mean no lead at all. It means no more than 0.25% lead, as a weighted average, in the parts that touch your drinking water. That’s why you won’t see us call a tap “100% lead free”.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| Product | Lead free? |
|---|---|
| Vienna Short Basin Mixer | Yes: Lead Free WaterMark certified · WM-022467 · no more than 0.25% lead |
| Vienna Tall Basin Mixer | Yes: Lead Free WaterMark certified · WM-022467 · no more than 0.25% lead |
| Milano Wall Mixer | Yes: Lead Free WaterMark certified · WM-022467 · no more than 0.25% lead |
| Milano Wall Spout Plus Wall Mixer | Yes: Lead Free WaterMark certified · WM-022467 · no more than 0.25% lead |
| Como Kitchen Mixer | Yes: Lead Free WaterMark certified · WM-022467 · no more than 0.25% lead |
| Porto Pull-Out Kitchen Mixer | No lead-free claim |
| Cannes Shower Mixer and Diverter | No lead-free claim |
| Showers: Corsica, Bordeaux, Lyon, Versailles | No lead-free claim |
| Wastes: Lisbon, Firenze, Granada | No lead-free claim |
| Accessories, shower screen and door hardware | No lead-free claim (not plumbing products) |
Lead-free certification is listed model by model on the public WaterMark product database, so a plumber can check it the same way as the WaterMark licence. Each product page shows the licence in its spec table.
Our products' ratings and licences
Copied from the specification table on each product page. Every model is the same in all six finishes.
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| Product | WELS rating | WELS registration | WaterMark licence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna Short Basin Mixer | 5 Star · 6.0 L/min | T29238 | WM-022467 |
| Vienna Tall Basin Mixer | 5 Star · 6.0 L/min | T29239 | WM-022467 |
| Milano Wall Spout Plus Wall Mixer | 5 Star · 6.0 L/min | – | WM-022467 |
| Como Kitchen Mixer | 5 Star · 6.0 L/min | T28127 | WM-022467 |
| Porto Pull-Out Kitchen Mixer | 4 Star · 6.5 L/min | T42469 | WM-022467 |
| Milano Wall Mixer | No rating: no outlet of its own | – | WM-022467 |
| Cannes Shower Mixer and Diverter | No rating: no outlet of its own | – | WM-022467 |
| Corsica Twin Shower Set | 3 Star · 8.0 L/min | S17320 | WM-022555 · AS/NZS 3662 |
| Bordeaux Wall Shower Arm and Head | 3 Star · 8.0 L/min | S17311 | WM-022555 · AS/NZS 3662 |
| Lyon Ceiling Shower Arm and Head | 3 Star · 8.0 L/min | S17311 | WM-022555 · AS/NZS 3662 |
| Versailles Hand Shower | 3 Star · 8.5 L/min | S17309 | WM-022555 · AS/NZS 3662 |
| Lisbon Pop-Up Basin Waste | Not a WELS product | – | WM-040211 |
| Firenze Basin Bottle Trap | Not a WELS product | – | WM-040211 |
| Granada Tile Insert Floor Waste | Not a WELS product | – | WM-040211 |
| Accessories, shower screen and door hardware | Not a WELS product | – | Not a plumbing product |
How to read our spec tables
Every tapware page opens its Details & specifications section with the same kind of table. Here is the Vienna Tall basin mixer, row by row:
Swipe the table sideways to see every column →
| Row | Vienna Tall | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| WELS rating | 5 Star · 6.0 L/min | Water efficiency. The stars are the band; 6.0 L/min is the tested flow rate. A 5 Star tap uses more than 4.5 and up to 6 litres a minute. |
| WELS registration | T29239 | The product's number on the WELS register. Check it on the WELS product register. |
| WaterMark licence | WM-022467 | The WaterMark licence number. Give it to your plumber: WM-022467 is listed in MBIE recognition notice RN-10009. |
| Overall height | 305 mm | From the bench to the top of the tap. Check it against a shelf, sill or mirror above. |
| Spout reach | 180 mm | From the centre of the tap hole to the outlet. The water should land near the basin's waste. |
| Clearance under spout | 200 mm | From the bench to the spout outlet. It must be higher than your basin's rim; we allow at least 50 mm above the rim so hands fit. |
| Tap hole | Ø35–38 mm | The hole the tap needs in the bench or basin. |
| Body | DZR brass | Dezincification-resistant brass: a brass made to resist losing its zinc in water. |
| Cartridge | Citec ceramic | The valve inside the lever that mixes hot and cold. Ceramic discs replace the old rubber washer. |
Other products add the rows that matter for them:
- Wall mixers show valve depth in wall (45–70 mm for the Milano, 55–85 mm for the Cannes). That's how far the finished wall face can sit in front of the valve. Your plumber sets it before the wall is lined.
- Showers show the connection (½″ BSP) and the arm or head size: the Bordeaux arm projects 384 mm and the Lyon drops 200 mm.
- Wastes show the hole and outlet: the Lisbon needs a Ø45 mm basin hole, clamps a basin 25–50 mm thick and has a 32 mm (1¼″ BSP) outlet.
Under the table you'll find the downloadable spec sheet and installation guide for that model. Send both to your plumber before rough-in.
The warranty, in one table
Every Invogue tap and mixer carries the same parts warranty:
| Tap and mixer part | Covered for |
|---|---|
| Body | 15 years |
| Cartridges, valves & moving parts | 7 years |
| Surface finish | 3 years |
| Washers, seals & O-rings | 2 years |
Full terms: our tapware warranty page.
Our picks
BasinVienna Short Basin Mixer5 Star · 6.0 L/min · T29238Antique Brass NZ$329 · other finishes from NZ$239View details →
Vessel basinVienna Tall Basin Mixer5 Star · 6.0 L/min · T29239Antique Brass NZ$409 · other finishes from NZ$249View details →
KitchenPorto Pull-Out Kitchen Mixer4 Star · 6.5 L/min · T42469Antique Brass NZ$749 · other finishes from NZ$549View details →
ShowerCorsica Dual Shower Head3 Star · 8.0 L/min · S17320Antique Brass NZ$1,169 · other finishes from NZ$669View details →Prices at the time of writing. The product page always shows the current price.
Shop by finish
Every tap, shower, waste and accessory in our range comes in the same six finishes.
Choosing a basin mixer? Answer two questions and see which of our taps clear your basin.
With the tap chosen, the next decision at the basin is the mirror above it.
FAQs
Which bathroom faucets are lead-free?
Of ours: the Vienna Short, Vienna Tall, Milano Wall Mixer, Milano Wall Spout Plus Wall Mixer and Como, in all six finishes. They’re certified under Australia’s Lead Free WaterMark scheme (WM-022467), an accepted way to show the NZ Building Code lead limit (G12/AS1, ≤0.25%) is met.
Is there such a thing as lead free brass?
Yes, in the sense the rules use it. Our five lead-free models have DZR brass bodies and are certified to contain no more than 0.25% lead, as a weighted average, in the parts that touch drinking water. That’s a limit, not zero, so we never say “100% lead free”.
Are Invogue taps lead free?
Five models are: Vienna Short, Vienna Tall, Milano Wall Mixer, Milano Wall Spout Plus Wall Mixer and Como. We make no lead-free claim for the Porto, the Cannes, our showers, wastes or accessories.
Does the lead limit apply in New Zealand?
Yes. Acceptable Solution G12/AS1 limits lead in plumbing products in contact with drinking water to no more than 0.25% (weighted average), from 2 May 2026.
What does a 5 Star WELS rating mean for a tap?
It means the tap's tested flow is more than 4.5 and up to 6 litres per minute. More stars means less water.
Is WELS labelling required in New Zealand?
Yes. Under the Consumer Information Standards (Water Efficiency) Regulations 2017, showers and taps must show their water efficiency rating where they are sold, in store or online.
Is a higher star rating always better?
Not for every job. The WELS scheme's guidance suggests 5 or 6 Star for bathroom basins, and notes that a 3 or 4 Star tap gives enough flow to fill a pot or sink in the kitchen or laundry.
What is the WELS rating of the Porto kitchen mixer?
4 Star, 6.5 L/min, WELS registration T42469.
Why don't the Milano Wall Mixer and Cannes diverter have a WELS rating?
They have no outlet of their own. The rating belongs to the shower or spout they supply.
What is a WaterMark licence?
It shows that a plumbing product is certified under the WaterMark scheme. The licence number and product standard are marked on the product and can be checked on the WaterMark product database. In New Zealand, MBIE recognition notices accept the products in listed WaterMark certificates as meeting the Building Code, so your plumber and building consent authority can accept them.
Does WaterMark apply in New Zealand?
Yes, through the Building Code. In New Zealand a tap or shower has to meet the Building Code, and since 1 October 2025 MBIE recognition notices accept the products in listed WaterMark certificates as meeting it, so your plumber and building consent authority can accept them. Our mixer licence WM-022467 is listed in RN-10009 and our shower licence WM-022555 in RN-10001.
Are Invogue taps WaterMark certified?
Yes. Our mixers carry WM-022467, our showers WM-022555 (AS/NZS 3662) and our wastes WM-040211.
What warranty do Invogue taps have?
Body 15 years; cartridges, valves and moving parts 7 years; surface finish 3 years; washers, seals and O-rings 2 years. It is a parts warranty: we supply the replacement part at no cost, and installation labour isn't included.
Where To Next?
- Choosing a finish: What’s the Best Tapware Colour?
- Replacing a tap: How to Replace a Mixer Tap or Shower Taps
- Brass, side by side: Antique Brass vs Brushed Brass
Need help? Ask us with a photo.
Send a photo of your basin, wall or plans and we will tell you what fits, or email info@invoguemirrors.co.nz.
