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PLUMBING CONNECTION
WINTER 2016
Through hard work, persistence and a lot of time and
effort, this has now changed and the tide has begun to shift
in favour of the suppliers.
In July 2011 the Plumbing Product Industry Group (PPI)
offered to assist with establishing a special interest group
to begin drafting a code. The PPI secretariat worked with the
special interest group to lodge applications for WaterMark
Technical Standards with the Australian Building Codes
Board (ABCB) earlier in 2013, while at the same time gaining
acceptance from Standards Australia for the funding of a
project to publish an installation code for Vacuum Drainage
within Buildings.
While it’s been a long journey the new Standards Australia
Technical Standard SA TS 100:2015 Vacuum WC pans and
interface valves intended for use with vacuum drainage
systems and designs has been developed. This is the first
Standard for Vacuum Toilet Technology in Australia and NZ
and the Installation Standard is not far behind.
We caught up with managing director RBA Group and chair
of committee Marc Buman to find out how the development
of the Standard came about and what it means for the
future of vacuum toilet technology in Australia and the
plumbing industry as a whole.
“We now have a code that we can WaterMark our
vacuum toilets against and AS3500.2 (Installation Code)
for Deemed-to-Satisfy solutions under the PCA has been
published for public comment in regards to the addition of
vacuum drainage but it’s not completely over the line and
published as a document,” Marc says.
“The committee ran under the umbrella of the PPIG and
the special interest group within that, which relates to
vacuum drainage, has four companies involved: Avac, HI
Fraser, Vacuum Toilets Australia and WC Innovations. We
have all been involved from the outset.”
It’s important to understand that standards don’t just
happen by chance. A lot of time and effort goes into their
development and it can be a long journey for all involved. In
this particular instance, the four manufacturers have invested
an enormous amount of time and money to make it a reality.
COVER STORY:
VACUUM TOILETS
A typical vacuum toilet network: pressure differential causes air to enter the toilet bowl and pull the waste through the
fixture outlet before transporting it into the piping network, routing it to the vacuum centre.
THIS IS THE FIRST STANDARD
FOR VACUUM TOILET TECHNOLOGY
IN AUSTRALIA AND NZ AND THE
INSTALLATION STANDARD IS NOT
FAR BEHIND.
Overhead
Vacuum Piping
Vacuum Centre
To Sewer
Waste Collection Points
Vacuum Drainage
Piping Network
interface valve
Controller
Buffer
DIAGRAM SUPPLIED BY: AVAC