Plumbing Connection Autumn 2016

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PLUMBING CONNECTION

AUTUMN 2016

WATERMARK… FACT OR FALLACY?

he Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) is the

Australian body responsible for administering the

WaterMark Scheme. Their website is a wealth of

information so I quote the following from

WHAT IS WATERMARK?

Material and product failures in plumbing systems can

cause contamination of the water system and be a public

health concern. The WaterMark Certification Scheme

is a mandatory certification scheme for plumbing and

drainage products to ensure that plumbing and drainage

materials and products are fit for purpose and appropriately

authorised for use in plumbing installations.

The Plumbing Code of Australia requires certain plumbing

and drainage materials and products to be certified and

authorised for use in a plumbing or drainage installation.

These materials and products are to be certified through

the WaterMark Certification Scheme and listed on the

WaterMark Product Database.”

So, what do I mean above by fact or fallacy?

Surely if the product is WaterMarked it must be suitable

for use in plumbing or drainage installations.

Wikipedia defines fallacy as: a reasoning in an argument

or debate which contains a factual, punctual or logical

error. A fallacious argument appears correct in one way but

it proves to be wrong in the examination. Logical fallacies

masquerade as reasonable statements, yet they are in fact

statements designed to manipulate the reader by appealing

to emotions rather than intellect.

Let me explain where I am going with this.

Innovation and technological advances often make it

difficult to assess a product that has multiple functions and

operations against only one standard. A simplistic example

could be that you have invented a new pencil and want to

have it approved against an existing standard for pencils.

However, this pencil has various design features like an

eraser attached to the end, a built in sharpening device and

food grade material instead of charcoal, for when people lick

the end of the pencil.

PETER MCLENNAN

DISCUSSES THE WATERMARK CERTIFICATION SCHEME AND THE CONFUSION THAT SETS IN

WHEN VARIOUS STANDARDS REGULATE DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF ONE PRODUCT.

BACKFLOW PREVENTION

PETER MCLENNAN