Technical

PLUMBING IN BUSHFIRE-PRONE AREAS

Plumbing practitioners look to the Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA) and AS/NZS 3500 for technical requirements for plumbing and drainage installations, but what additional requirements are there for the design, construction, and installation of plumbing and drainage systems in bushfire-prone areas?

In this article, the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) looks at requirements for bushfire-prone areas that are relevant to plumbing.

The National Construction Code (NCC)

NCC Volumes One and Two (the Building Code of Australia, or BCA) require certain buildings in a designated bushfire-prone area to be (to the degree necessary) designed and constructed to reduce the risk of ignition from a bushfire. This is generally achieved through compliance with AS 3959.

AS 3959 contains requirements for plumbing and drainage systems (water services, sanitary plumbing and drainage systems, and stormwater drainage systems) that are additional to those found in AS/NZS 3500. It is primarily concerned with improving the ability of buildings in designated bushfire-prone areas to better withstand bushfire attack, thereby better-protecting residents.

The PCA

The PCA highlights, in explanatory information for crossvolume considerations, where the BCA requirements affect the design, construction, or installation of a plumbing or drainage system. For bushfire-prone areas, this relates to pipework external to the building and penetrations through the roof cladding. Relevant cross-volume considerations in the PCA are provided for cold water services (B1.4), heated water services (B2.9), non-drinking water services (B3.3), fire-fighting water services (B4.2), and sanitary plumbing systems (C1.3).

Plumbing practitioners must also be aware of the Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) classification for a project’s location and ensure that their work meets the bushfire requirements for that classification. It is also recommended to check with the local authority or building certifier in case additional requirements apply.

Want to know more?

Access the PCA free online from the ABCB website, ncc.abcb.gov.au, or AS 3959 from the Standards Australia website, infostore.saiglobal. com/en-au/standards/as-3959-2018-122340_saig_ as_as_2685241/ (open access until June 2021).

HAVE YOU CHECKED IF THE PRODUCTS YOU ARE BUYING OR INSTALLING ARE CERTIFIED FOR USE IN AUSTRALIA?

In Australia, most plumbing and drainage products must be WaterMark certified. But, what does this mean?

The WaterMark Certification Scheme is a mandatory national scheme for plumbing and drainage products to ensure they are fit for purpose and appropriately authorised for use in plumbing and drainage installations. This means that a material or product has been tested and evaluated to an approved product specification and certified by an accredited organisation.

How Do I Know if a Plumbing Product is WaterMark Certified?

Certified products can be identified by the WaterMark certification trademark, which must appear on a product or its packaging, along with its WaterMark licence number and the applicable product specification. Certified products are listed on the WaterMark Product Database.

The WaterMark Product Database provides consumers, industry professionals, and regulators an access point to confirm if a product has been certified before purchasing or installing the product. This simple check helps ensure that your plumbing and drainage systems work properly and the water you use is safe.

All products that are intended for use in a plumbing and drainage installation must undergo a risk assessment to identify any likely risk of manufacturing faults and installation failures. Products with identified risks that require mitigation through the Scheme are listed on the WaterMark Schedule of Products. Likewise, products with identified risks that don’t require WaterMark certification are listed on the Schedule of Excluded Products. Both schedules can be found on the WaterMark website, watermark.abcb.gov.au/look.

How Does the Product Database Work?

A certified plumbing or drainage product that has been evaluated to the applicable product specification is issued with a WaterMark certificate of conformity, including a WaterMark licence number. The product and its certification details must also be listed on the WaterMark Product Database.

The WaterMark Product Database allows users to search for certificates and products by WaterMark licence number, brand and/or model name, model ID, licensee name, or product description.

The search filter options provide refined search results that allow you to search by product category, product specification, or brand name. From the

NOTIFIABLE WORK FEES AND FORMS

Recently we have been receiving a few queries in regards to the fees associated with Notifiable Work and customers questioning them.

Section 83 (1) of the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 (PDA) outlines the actions that must be taken after notifiable work is completed (as covered in the July/August 2019 edition). Section 83 (1), Action after

Notifiable Work is Finished, states that this requires a copy of the form 4 (notice) to be submitted to the commissioner (QBCC): Subject to subsection (4), within 10 business days after notifiable work is finished, the relevant person for the work must give the following to the commissioner, unless the person has a reasonable excuse— a) A notice, in the approved form, about the work; b) The fee prescribed by regulation for giving the notice. Maximum penalty—60 penalty units. Currently, the prescribed fee for the notifiable work form (form 4) is $32.00 if submitted electronically or $43.20 if submitted manually. search results, you can select a specific certificate/product to view more detailed information.

The WaterMark Product Database is located on the WaterMark website and can be viewed on portable devices. A short video, Using the Product Database, is also available to help you navigate the WaterMark Product Database, search for certificates or products, and download key information.

What Does It Mean if You Can’t Find a WaterMark or Licence Number on Either the Product, Its Packaging, or on the WaterMark Product Database?

It could mean one of three things: 1. Not all plumbing and drainage materials or products require

WaterMark certification. Check the Schedule of Excluded Products to see if the product is listed there. 2. It could be a new product that has not yet had a risk evaluation undertaken to determine whether it is required to be WaterMark certified or not. 3. It has not been WaterMark certified, which means it may not be authorised for use.

If in doubt about whether a product needs or has WaterMark certification, you should check with your plumbing practitioner or approving authority.

Remember, a simple check of the WaterMark Product Database next time you are considering purchasing or installing tapware, toilets, showerheads, or any other plumbing product, can go a long way to ensure consumer health and safety.

For more information, or to check the WaterMark Product Database, visit

Article written by the Australian Building Codes Board

watermark.abcb.gov.au/look.

The cost of submitting the form is passed onto the customer in addition to any administration fees.

Form 4A does not attract a submission fee to QBCC, but an administration fee could still be charged to the customer for the completion of the form.

Who Else Receives the Form?

When notifiable work is completed, a copy of the form must also be provided to the occupier of the premises or another person who instigated the performance of the work within 20 business days. Section 83 (3) PDA states:

Subject to subsection (4), within 20 business days after the notifiable work is finished, the relevant person must give a copy of the notice, and an explanatory statement, to— a) An occupier of the premises; or b) Any other person who asked the relevant person to carry out the work.

Maximum penalty—60 penalty units.

MPAQ members can contact the MPAQ Technical team on 07 3273 0800 for more information.

Article written by Ernie Kretschmer, Technical Services Manager, MPAQ