Reliance Worldwide: brands and their EPD coverage
Reliance Worldwide Corporation is a house of plumbing brands used on jobsites every day. Specifiers increasingly want product‑specific EPDs in bid folders. Here is how RWC’s portfolio stacks up today, where competitors are visible, and where a few quick EPD wins could unlock more specs fast.
Who is Reliance Worldwide in construction
Reliance Worldwide Corporation (RWC) owns familiar plumbing names that installers grab first: SharkBite, John Guest, Cash Acme, HoldRite, and Streamlabs. Together they cover push‑to‑connect fittings, PEX and LLDPE tubing, pressure‑reducing and mixing valves, pipe supports, water heater accessories, and leak detection.
These are behind‑the‑wall essentials from meter to fixture. The brands sell across residential, light commercial, and retrofit, with distribution through wholesale and retail.
Product range and scale
RWC participates in several distinct product families, from mechanical fittings to engineered valves and mounting solutions. SKU depth is broad. Think hundreds across sizes, alloys, polymers, and kit variants. Exact counts vary by region and year, so treat that as directional rather than a hard tally.
EPD coverage today
As of December 25, 2025, we could not locate current, product‑specific EPDs for RWC’s major brands in public operator registries. That suggests low coverage relative to peers in core categories. If you publish and keep them current, suppliers with similar products tend to appear in spec packages more often for projects that reward product‑specific EPDs in LEED v5 and owner policies.
Where competitors already show up with EPDs
Watts lists product‑specific EPDs for backflow preventers, relief valves, PRVs, and mixing valves with validity running into 2029 and 2030 (Smart EPD, 2029) (Smart EPD, 2029).
Uponor maintains multiple PEX piping and component EPDs with expiries reaching 2030, which positions their tubing systems well for projects tracking embodied carbon (EPD Hub, 2030) (EPD Hub, 2030).
Victaulic publishes EPDs for small‑diameter couplings and fittings through 2030 that cover common mechanical joining use cases in commercial work (SCS Global Services, 2030) (SCS Global Services, 2030).
Viega also has EPDs for press and crimp systems in plumbing and mechanical applications with current validity across the late 2020s (ift Rosenheim, 2028).
A likely bestseller missing an EPD hurts more than it seems
SharkBite brass push‑to‑connect fittings are omnipresent in distribution and on service trucks. If they lack a product‑specific EPD, specifiers may default to press or crimp systems with published EPDs when LEED v5 credits or internal carbon targets apply. That does not just slow a bid. It introduces a penalty in carbon accounting that makes the non‑EPD option less attractive on paper, so teams pick the path of least resistance. That is how you quietly lose specs you never saw.
Fast, pragmatic EPD rollout for RWC‑type portfolios
Start where revenue and substitution risk meet.
- Pressure‑reducing valves and thermostatic mixing valves under Cash Acme. Competitors already publish in this category, so an EPD closes a visible gap. Pick the PCR aligned with the valves peers used to stay apples‑to‑apples.
- SharkBite brass push‑to‑connect core family. Cover high‑volume tees, elbows, couplings in the most common diameters first. A family EPD strategy with representative SKUs can move the needle without boiling the ocean.
- John Guest acetal and brass push‑fit lines serving potable and beverage water. These show up in education and light commercial kitchens where owner sustainability screens are common.
- HoldRite pipe supports and equipment supports. If a clean PCR fit is not available, consider scoping to the most spec‑critical assemblies or use a broadly accepted construction products Part A with a suitable Part B.
We typically see teams pick a recent full production year for data, lock plants, utilities, and alloys, then mirror the competitor PCR to meet buyer expectations with minimal friction. Prospective EPDs can work for new SKUs if volumes are ramping, then get refreshed once a full year of data is in.
The competitive set RWC meets most often
Direct plumbers’ choice competitors tend to be Watts, Zurn Elkay Water Solutions, Viega, Uponor, NIBCO, and Victaulic. In some healthcare and education scopes, PP‑R systems like Aquatherm are alternate paths to the same performance outcome. The common thread is simple. Many of these brands show up with current, product‑specific EPDs in the categories where they fight for space in the submittal.
Why this matters commercially
On projects that score embodied carbon, a product without a product‑specific EPD forces modelers to use conservative defaults. That increases a project’s carbon totals and makes substitution easier. An EPD removes that penalty, keeps bidders from swapping on price alone, and helps you stay visible across long, multi‑stakeholder decisions. One mid‑sized win can repay the documentation lift, often quickly.
Sustainability posture
RWC publishes an ESG archive and sustainability overview that outlines emissions goals, program focus areas, and annual reporting. If you are exploring a portfolio EPD plan, their sustainability page is a good context setter for internal alignment (RWC Sustainability, 2025).
Bottom line for manufacturers
If your catalog looks anything like RWC’s, prioritise EPDs where buyers compare you head‑to‑head and where a single document can cover a family. Keep validation current, align with the PCR your competitors use, and make the data collection easy on your plant leaders. Specifiers often move fast teh moment they see what they need. The brand that shows up with complete, third‑party verified paperwork usually wins the tie.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which RWC product families are most commercially exposed without EPDs?
Valves that control safety or code compliance, like PRVs and TMVs, and high‑volume mechanical fittings. These are frequently compared on submittals against peers that already publish EPDs (Smart EPD, 2029).
Is an older but valid EPD a problem in bids?
Not typically. As long as it is within the validity window, most buyers treat it as good to go. Renew if it is approaching expiry within the coming months to avoid surprises.
What if a PCR for a niche support product is hard to find?
A capable LCA partner will map competitor PCRs, check operator options, and propose a pragmatic route. Sometimes a general construction products Part A plus a fit‑for‑purpose Part B is the cleanest path.
About the Author
John brings a clear, research-driven perspective on the EPD, LCA and HPD space and keeps a close pulse on environmental trends and standards in North America, helping clients understand where the industry is heading and how to get there.
