FEATURE 21
Drainage and Waste
By
Rory Macnamara
The disposal of waste in the plumbing context is critical and is governed by SANS 10400 : P Drainage of the National Building Regulations ( NBR ).
The design of the water and waste system would be the responsibility of an Engineering Council of SA ( ECSA ) registered professional engineer or engineering technologist , who may be drawn from the mechanical and / or civil engineering disciplines . It is credit to the SA Institute of Civil Engineers ( SAICE ) who have had an active water division and who are now including Mechanical Engineers as members specialising in Wet Services . ( Not to be confused with Wet Build such as plastering .)
The installation of the design in relation to plumbing is the qualified plumber who would work closely with the engineer .
SANS 10400 : A : ‘ The application of the National Building Regulations ’ must be read in conjunction with the with Part P and any Part of 10400 for that matter . Part A provides the overall guidelines as to what must be done to ensure a smooth following of the relevant part or part one is working with . It is an extensive document but a must-read .
As with all parts of 10400 there are normative references described as , “ the following referenced documents are INDISPENSIBLE for the application of this document .”
This is followed by the definitions which are thorough thus avoiding confusion . Included is
Agrement SA SOC which provides certificates for non-standard products and are regarded as ‘ fit for purpose ’ whereas SANS are ‘ deemed to satisfy .’
2 . Is the subject of a rational design or rational assessment performed by a competent person ( sanitation ) and using the principles for the design , installation and testing of sanitary drainage .
3 . Is the subject of an Agreement SA certificate and the system . Element or component is used within the scope , conditions and limitations prescribed in the certificate and the element or component is compatible with other elements or components of the drainage system .”
The headings for parts 4.2 to 4.27 are listed only as every engineer and plumber should have their own copy available from www . sabs . co . za or sales @ sabs . co . za
• 4.2 Materials , pipes , fittings , and joints
• 4.3 Sanitary fittings including appliances connected to water and waste system and waste disposal units .
• 4.4 Toilets .
• 4.5 Urinals
• 4.6 Connectors for toilet pans
• 4.7 Sewage lifts
• 4.8 Conservancy tanks , septic tanks , and French drains .
• 4.9 Discharge from washing areas including grease interceptors , both types .
• 4.10 discharge from swimming baths , pools , fountains , or reservoirs .
• 4.11 Provision of sanitary fixtures
• 4.12 Hydraulic loading of drainage installations
A ‘ competent person ’ as defined in the standard is “ a person who is qualified by virtue of his / her education , training , experience and contextual knowledge to make a determination regarding the performance of a building or part thereof ” obviously allowance is made for specialist occupations like plumbing to be suitably qualified . Please note the definition does not provide options as to the competency but implies competency in all four areas .
Extracts from the standard 4 - Requirements 4.1 -General The functional regulation P2 contained in Part P of the NBR shall be deemed to satisfy where the drainage installation 1 . Complies with the requirements of 4.2 to 4.27 ( we list these hereafter )
All product images : Marley
March 2022 Volume 28 I Number 1 www . plumbingafrica . co . za