The Environment Agency has published a major update to the MCERTS flowmeter scheme for water flow monitoring equipment – the scheme has been substantially revised.
The MCERTS flowmeter scheme now adopts BS EN 17694:2023 – Minimum performance requirements and test procedures for water flow monitoring equipment, with devices for the determination of flow as its technical foundation.
The scheme is now split into 2 parts: Part 1 for open channel instrumentation and Part 2 for closed conduit instrumentation, reflecting the structure of the new European standard and replaces the previous single flowmeter standard.
The revised scheme references the performance and test requirements contained within BS EN 17694, with additional MCERTS-specific requirements retained including multiple MCERTS performance classes.
Changes include the introduction of a certification classes for open-channel velocity sensors and the removal of MCERTS Class 4.
The EA set up the Monitoring Certification Scheme (MCERTS) in 2014 to provide guidance on the standards that must be meet to monitor emissions that affect the environment. The scheme is based on international standards. It provides for the product certification of instruments, the competency certification of personnel and the accreditation of laboratories. The Agency says MCERTS is designed to support the measurement requirements specified in environmental permits by making sure that equipment used to derive monitoring data is fit for purpose.
The scheme was first updated in July 2018 to improve clarity, facilitate new technologies and instantaneous flow measurement and further updated in March 2020 to improve clarity, with a section on the combined performance characteristic and loop powered instruments added.
The Agency has published the new guidance this week for:
- manufacturers of water flowmeters for use on open channels and closed conduits operating under open-channel flow conditions who need to know what standards to meet to be able to use their equipment for regulatory purposes in England and Wales
- test organisations who carry out testing of the equipment on behalf of manufacturers to see if it meets the required standard
The EA has appointed CSA Group Testing UK Ltd as the certification body to operate MCERTS on its behalf. CSA Group Testing UK Ltd complies with EN ISO/IEC 17065 Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes, and services. The company is the UK’s sole provider of MCERTS certification services.
MCERTS certification
Product certification comprises of 2 phases. These are:
- laboratory and field testing – used to determine performance characteristics, where such testing requires a highly controlled environment (field testing is carried out on processes representative of the intended industrial sectors and applications)
- surveillance - initial and continuing which comprises an audit of the manufacturing process (to confirm that the manufacturer has provisions to ensure manufacturing reproducibility and to control any design changes to ensure that they do not degrade performance below the MCERTS requirements)
MCERTS continuous flowmeter scheme
MCERTS for continuous flowmeters provides the product certification of open channel instruments (OCIs) and closed conduit instruments. Water flowmeters may be certified against either one or both parts of this standard.
Click here to access MCERTS for water flowmeters Part 1: performance standards and test procedures for open channel instruments
Click here to access MCERTS for water flowmeters Part 2: performance standards and test procedures for closed conduit instruments
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