Plumbing Connection 3-2015

94 / 132

9 4 PLUMBING CONNECTION SPRING 2015
A RECIPE FOR AN AUSTRALIAN STANDARD
Ever wondered what goes into the making of an Australian
Standard? There are a few “ingredients” involved, such as
a rigorous assessment on the net benefit to Australia, and
stakeholder support from the industry and community. We
rely upon the expertise of our Technical Committee members,
who are representatives from industry, government,
regulators, and consumer organisations. All Standards are
developed on the basis of consensus.
If you have some time today, catch Standards Australia’s
video on “A Recipe for An Australian Standard” on our
YouTube channel. The video showcases the people behind
the development of an Australian Standard. You can find this
video on Standards Australia’s YouTube channel (search for
‘Standards Australia’ on . On the same
channel you can also watch our World Plumbing Day video on
why standards matter in plumbing.
UPDATED AS/NZS 3500.1, WATER SERVICES, AND AS/NZS
3500.2, SANITARY PLUMBING AND DRAINAGE
The technical committee WS-014, Plumbing and Drainage,
has certainly been busy this year. Following the update to AS/
NZS 3500 Part 3 in February 2015, WS-014 has completed
in June the 2015 editions of AS/NZS 3500, Part 1, Water
services, and AS/NZS 3500, Part 2, Sanitary plumbing and
drainage. The 2015 editions of these Standards replace the
2003 versions.
The main updates are to take into account new materials,
equipment and methods, and aim to provide installers with
solutions to comply with the National Construction Code of
Australia; Plumbing Code of Australia; and the New Zealand
Building Code.
The 2015 edition of AS/NZS 3500, Part 1, Water services
specifies requirements for the design, installation and
commissioning of cold water services and non-drinking water
from a point of connection to the points of discharge.
For AS/NZS 3500, Part 2, Sanitary drainage and plumbing,
the 2015 revision specifies requirements for the design
and installation of sanitary plumbing and drainage from the
fixtures to a sewer, common effluent system or an on-site
wastewater management system. It includes requirements
for vacuum drainage systems and clarifies types of junctions
permitted in drains.
The Technical Committee is now working on a revised
edition of AS/NZS 3500, Part 4, Heated water services. The
scope of work includes a substantial revision of the solar
water heater installation requirements while reviewing the
maximum water velocity for circulatory pipework.
REVIEWOF AGED STANDARDS
With over 7,000 Australian Standards in our catalogue, we
constantly strive to keep our catalogue contemporary and
relevant. Standards should be living documents and reflect
changes in technology and society. This is why we review
Standards that are over ten years old (we call these “Aged
Standards”), and if they are under the purview of an active
Technical Committee, we ask these Technical Committees
to consider whether the content of these Standards is still
relevant. This process is called “reconfirmation”.
In April 2015, the following Standards were reconfirmed:
∫ AS 1628-1999 Water supply - Metallic gate, globe and non-
return valves
∫ AS 3952-2002 Water supply - Spring hydrant valve for
waterworks purposes
∫ AS/NZS 4158:2003 Thermal-bonded polymeric coatings on
valves and fittings for water industry purposes
∫ AS 4794-2001 Non-return valves - Swing check and tilting
disc
∫ AS 6401-2003 Knife-gate valves for waterworks purposes
For more information on the ongoing review of Aged
Standards, please visit our website ).
GET LINKED(IN)
Keep up to date with Standards Developments and join the
Standards Australia Building and Construction LinkedIn group.
The page provides a platform for Standards Australia to
communicate with our members, keeping you informed of
the work being undertaken, Standards publications and other
relevant matters. Documents available for Public Comment
will be listed on the group page, along with updates on
conferences, forums and events.
To join the Standards Australia LinkedIn Page, look for
Standards Australia – Building and Construction via the
LinkedIn search function. Visit the Standards Australia
website or contact Standards Australia to find out more.
STANDARDS AUSTRALIA IS THE NATION’S PEAK NON-GOVERNMENT STANDARDS ORGANISATION.
TIMWHEELER , NATIONAL SECTOR MANAGER FOR BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION, PROVIDES US WITH
AN UPDATE ON WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE STANDARDS WORLD.
STANDARDSWATCH
Standards Australia