Half of new drain installations defective

During the month of December 2020, the VBA conducted an inspection blitz focusing on new site construction drainage works. The state plumbing regulator on building drainage found more than half were non-compliant. The VBA inspectors conducted 93 drainage inspections, with almost 52 per cent needing to be fixed, including a property in Mickleham with costs of $40,000 to cut the slab and fix the plumbing.

All below ground sanitary drains need a consent to connect number which are to be offered to the VBA for inspection, and are to comply with the relevant standards prior to being back-filled by the licensed practitioner. Inspections are random, and if the VBA inspector does not attend site within a certain time-frame then it is industry norm for the drainage and plumbing contractor to push on with works and back-fill the drainage trenches.

To be frank, I am not surprised by this harrowing statistic! I encounter so many construction errors on a weekly basis that I am often left bewildered. These days people are overwhelmed with information and distraction, especially due to mobile devices, and I honestly believe that this leads to ‘frazzled minds’ that results in construction mistakes, both at the design and drafting stage, but also poor attention to detail from a quality of workmanship perspective.