The VBA conducts random below-ground sanitary drainage inspections of plumbing work to ensure the work complies with the relevant standards, regulations and local laws.

The inspections are carried out by VBA’s Plumbing Inspector Compliance Auditors, and consider the design, construction, installation, replacement, repair, alteration and maintenance of sanitary drainage systems. Relined below-ground sanitary drains are also inspected.

Drainage inspection process

Before certifying below-ground sanitary drainage work, you must apply for a consent of connect number through the relevant water authority. After that, you need to book a below ground sanitary drainage inspection in the VBA360 system. You’ll need to nominate a future date and time and length for the offered booking.

At the nominated booking time, you will have to be on-site with a copy of the Conditions of Consent to Connect, the As-laid Drainage Plan and, if applicable, a relevant emergency repair document. You will also require a copy of the soil classification report. If the soil classification is identified as highly or extremely reactive, you will require a recognised experts report advising any additional installation requirements due to the site classification. Your installation must be installed in accordance with relevant standards, regulations and local laws including any additional recognised expert’s requirements.

All offered below-ground sanitary drainage work must be available and in its entirety for viewing prior to backfilling. Trenches or excavations must not be backfilled for 30 minutes after the initial booking time. The offered drainage must be on test as per the current standard at the nominated booking time ready for any drainage inspection.

Not all bookings will result in a drainage inspection. If a Plumbing Inspector Compliance Auditor does not attend your site within 30 minutes from the nominated booking time, you may backfill the offered section(s) of below ground drainage.

Relined below-ground sanitary drains also require a consent of connect and a drainage inspection booking. The licensed plumber or a representative needs to be onsite with a CCTV camera system or camera device that will enable the Inspector to view the completed works.

Inspection times

Inspection booking times can be offered from 7 am to 4 pm on the half hour, Monday to Saturday (excluding public holidays). All bookings must be made before 4 pm the day before the inspection.

Failure to attend

Failure to attend or have a representative present at the offered booking time may result in the licensed plumber being issued with an infringement under The Building Act 1993 Part 12A, Section 221ZP (3) (a).

Not ready drains

If your drain is not ready at the nominated booking time when a Plumbing Inspector Compliance Auditor attends, the drain booking will be resulted as Not Ready. You will need to re-book the same plumbing work again in VBA360 using the reinspection button.

The licenced plumber may receive an infringement under The Building Act 1993 Part 12A, Section 221ZP (3) (b).

Failed drains

If your drain is identified as being non-compliant, the licensed plumber will receive a rectification notice advising of all work requiring rectification. The rectification notice will allow 14 days for the non-compliance to be rectified and re-booked with the VBA for re-inspection.

When the work is rectified the licensed plumber will need to contact the Plumbing Audit Department on (1300 108 112) to coordinate a re-inspection date and time and to provide relevant documentation relating to the site and drainage system.

Cancellations

If you need to cancel a below-ground sanitary drainage inspection booking, you need to do this in VBA360 before 4:00pm the day before the inspection.

Under reasonable circumstances, you may cancel a below-ground sanitary drainage inspection booking on the same day by contacting the VBA Audit Department up until one hour prior to the booking time. To cancel any nominated booking, you can email drain cancellations. Alternatively, you can call 1300 108 112 (Monday to Friday, from 8.30am - 4.15pm).

Urgent repairs to below-ground sanitary drains

In some cases, you may be called out to perform emergency below-ground sanitary drainage work where it is necessary to backfill the completed works due. This may include work that is required to be performed outside of normal operational hours, or work that may impact public health and safety or affect public thoroughfares.

You must obtain consent using an Urgent Repair Notice with the relevant water corporation before commencing any works.

This does not remove the responsibility to make a drain inspection booking after the works are completed. You must contact the VBA to report the emergency sanitary drainage work as soon as possible during operational hours. Call 1300 108 112 (Monday to Friday, from 8.30am – 4.15pm).

You need to make a booking using VBA360 for an inspection for the next available day. The licensed plumber or a representative must be present at the booking time. You are expected to provide photos of the completed works as evidence of the works undertaken. If a Plumbing Inspector Compliance Auditor attends, photos and all relevant documentation will be requested.

Test Prior

If a Conditions of Consent to Connect Approval can't be provided by a water corporation due to the unavailability of services at the early stage of new land development, you may be granted permission to proceed with regulated plumbing drainage work at the site. This consent is given via a Test Prior advice form.

The water corporation will email the VBA advising of the Test Prior application if approval has been granted. You need to contact the VBA Audit Department via email or by phone on 1300 108 112 to book the Test Prior inspection.

You must allocate a compliance certificate before the booking can be made. A Plumbing Inspector Compliance Auditor may attend the offered booking and you must have all work available for viewing and have a test applied at this time.

If a Plumbing Inspector Compliance Auditor does not attend the booking, the trenches or excavations may be backfilled 30 minutes after the nominated booking time.

Compliance certificates

All below-ground sanitary drainage work must be advised on a compliance certificate and must indicate the class of plumbing and the work performed. All details on compliance certificates need to be accurate.

Compliance certificates must be lodged within five days of completion. A copy must be provided to the person for whom the works were carried, also within five days of lodgement.

Drain readiness inspection

A drain readiness inspection is carried out by the Plumbing Investigations team. The plumbing investigations team is made up of specialist plumbing inspectors/compliance auditors (Investigators) who may attend a drainage inspection to ensure the drain is ready for inspection at the nominated time.

They are not there to inspect the drain – the drain may still be inspected by the audits team. If the drain is not ready you may be issued with an infringement under, The Building Act 1993 Part 12A, Section 221ZP(3)(b).

The Investigator will also ensure that who ever is onsite carrying out plumbing work has the appropriate qualifications to carry out that work.