Plumbing Connection 1-2015

87 / 116

PLUMBING CONNECTION AUTUMN 2015 87
every premises through a water meter is safe. But who is
responsible for ensuring safe drinking water within the
premises? The responsibility must be with the user of the
water. This would be either the owner or the tenant and is
dependent on the style of premise.
So let’s assume that all users of the water have plumbing
systems that comply with the codes and that backflow
protection is in place based on the degree of hazard.
Who manages the register of the installed devices and
who ensures that inspection and testing is done at regular
intervals?
Well, in most cases, empirical evidence shows us that no-
one does and that devices installed within premises often
never get tested or inspected. So what is the point of having
them?
We need a mechanism whereby all testable backflow
preventers are registered and managed so that the levels of
protection are maintained through inspection and testing
programs.
One such program is the New Zealand Building Warranty
of Fitness. As with the fire systems and cooling towers,
backflow preventers are listed on the building’s essential
safety requirements and a register is held on-site that
depicts when the devices were inspected and tested
last. It is a condition of occupation that the equipment is
maintained and it is the responsibility of the building owner.
Until we get a similar program in Australia, it is estimated
that only half of the testable devices installed in our piping
systems are maintained and tested. And that’s just not good
enough.
(Peter McLennan has been involved with Backflow
Prevention in Australia since the late 1980s. He is the
President of the Backflow Prevention Association of Australia
Inc., and Secretary of the Backflow Prevention Association
of Australia Inc. Queensland Chapter. Visit
au to find out more about how the Backflow Prevention
Association of Australia Inc. can help you understand Cross
Connection Control and Backflow Prevention.)
Backflow Prevention Association of Australia Inc.
The Dux Plumbers Handbook is a comprehensive product and technical guide.
It is a valuable tool which will make it easier than ever to access vital hot water
information on-site, right when you need it. The Dux Plumbers Handbook offers:
DOWNLOAD FROM THE APP STORE
OR THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE.
specification details
technical & spare parts information
rough-in diagrams
installation guides and animations
WHAT YOU NEED,
ON-SITE AND
IN REACH.
SPECS,
ROUGH-IN
DIAGRAMS
AND MUCH
MORE!
APP
PROVIDES: