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PLUMBING CONNECTION
AUTUMN 2015
different to the already familiar explanatory information,
introduced in the 2012 edition, it is important to note that
they are nonetheless only advisory and are provided to guide
you in the right direction for related BCA content.
Users of the BCA can soon look forward to similar useful
information being provided in that code to help identify which
parts of the PCA may impact on building work. Development
of new cross-volume consideration information for the BCA
is already underway, with proposals expected to appear in the
NCC 2016 public comment draft, which will be released in early
June 2015.
The process of elevating matters of public policy
from referenced documents into the PCA is also nearing
completion, with three new Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions
transferred into the PCA from the current AS/NZS 3500 Parts
1 and 4. These include B1.6 and B2.6, which set a maximum
water efficient flow rate for shower, basin, kitchen sink and
laundry trough outlets, and B2.5 which describes hot and cold
tap layouts, so as to provide consistency and safety for the
vision impaired. Explanatory information has also been added
below Performance Requirement BP1.2 to provide information
on how to address unintended heating of cold water pipes,
which can be an issue in some parts of Australia.
Others changes include an amendment to the overarching
Objectives of Parts B4 and E1 regarding suitability of these
services, and a minor restructure of the General Requirements
provisions to clarify for which buildings you can use AS/NZS
3500.5 (Plumbing and Drainage – Housing Installations).
WATERMARK: INTRODUCING THE WMTS
No doubt many of you are familiar with the review of the
WaterMark Certification Scheme being undertaken by the
ABCB; an initiative which has of course occupied time and
resources, both at the ABCB and among many of you who are
in one way or another involved with the Scheme. However, the
review is not all that has been going on.
Over the last year or so, the ABCB Office has also been
progressing the conversion of the current Australian Technical
Specifications (ATSs) into a new format called a Watermark
Technical Specification (WMTS). The technical content of the
new WMTSs will be unchanged from the old ATSs; with the
purpose of the conversion only being to reflect the ABCB as the
new owners of the documents. The WMTS have been published
by the ABCB directly and are freely available online through the
ABCB website.
Lastly, just a reminder that all other WaterMark related
information is also now available on the ABCB website,
including the Schedule of Specifications, the list of Exempt
Products, and of course the product database itself.
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