NSF/ANSI 14-2025: Plastics Piping System Components

Beneath city streets, behind walls, and across industrial sites, an unseen network of plastic piping quietly keeps modern life flowing. This network delivers clean water, removes waste, and supports critical infrastructure. At the center of assuring these systems are safe, durable, and compliant is NSF/ANSI 14-2025: Plastics Piping System Components and Related Materials. It establishes the physical, performance, and durability criteria for plastic piping components and materials—such as pipes, fittings, valves, and resins—assuring that they function reliably in systems like potable water, drainage, and industrial uses.

What Is NSF/ANSI 14?

NSF/ANSI 14-2025 establishes minimum physical, performance, and health effects requirements for plastic piping system components and related materials. The requirements in this American National Standard apply to the following:

• Thermoplastic and thermoset plastic piping system components including, but not limited to, pipes, fittings, valves, joining materials, gaskets, and appurtenances.
• Materials (resin or blended compounds) and ingredients used to manufacture plastic piping system components.

The objective of NSF/ANSI 14-2025 is to assure the structural integrity, material quality, and safety for applications like potable water, sewer, and radiant heating systems. 

What Is the Difference Between NSF/ANSI 14 and NSF/ANSI/CAN 61?

NSF/ANSI 14-2025 and NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 are both standards related to plastic piping systems, but they focus on different aspects. While NSF/ANSI 14-2025 focuses on the performance and physical requirements of the pipe, NSF/ANSI/CAN 61-2025 is generally used to evaluate the health effects (contamination) of the water passing through the pipe. 

Both standards apply to materials used in plastic piping systems, such as PVC, CPVC, PE, PEX, and others. NSF/ANSI 14-2025 and NSF/ANSI/CAN 61 also emphasize the importance of quality assurance and testing to assure the safety and performance of the materials used.

Benefits of Plastic Plumbing Systems 

Plastic plumbing systems form the backbone of modern water distribution and drainage, using materials like PVC, CPVC, and PEX to move water efficiently through residential, commercial, and industrial buildings. These systems are designed to handle both supply and waste functions, combining pipes, fittings, valves, and connectors to create a continuous, leak-resistant network.

One of the key advantages of plastic plumbing is its durability. Materials are highly resistant to corrosion, chemicals, and environmental stress, which helps extend service life while reducing maintenance needs. Additionally, plastic piping is lightweight, cost-effective, and easier to install than traditional metal alternatives, contributing to its widespread adoption.

Together, these advantages—durability, corrosion resistance, ease of installation, and cost efficiency—have made plastic plumbing systems a preferred choice across a wide range of infrastructure applications, from potable water delivery to drain, waste, and vent (DWV) systems.

Where to Find NSF/ANSI 14

NSF/ANSI 14-2025: Plastics Piping System Components and Related Materials is available on the ANSI Webstore.

NSF/ANSI 14-2025 was developed by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF).

Please direct any technical questions relating to this American National Standard to the developer. You can find the contact information for all ANSI-accredited standards developers here: List of ANSI-Accredited Standards Developers (ASDs).

For further information, please refer to: Who to Contact for Standards Related Questions.