28 DESIGN : DEAR PLUMBERS
the BCO and to get approval for it . The office of the BCO does not carry out inspections and does not issue a specific CoC for the water installation . The reason given is that it is not part of the mandate of the BCO and not a requirement under the NBR and NBR Act .
15 . SANS 10252-1 has been used by the plumbers as their handbook and they proposed that it become the new Water Part of SANS 10400 .
16 . SANS 10252-1 was originally designed and written as a design code of practice and originally published as SABS 0252-1 — Code of Practice . It cannot be used as is as a regulation since the contents are not prescriptive , but it does consist of many choices ( assumptions ) to be made , which forms the basis of design — intelligent engineering design . It does not contain ‘ recipes ’ to be used as deem-to-satisfy rules to comply with a number of regulations still to be developed .
17 . Therefore , we need : a . A number of performance regulations similar to SANS 10400-P , P1 to P7 . b . Several deem-to-satisfy rules — a recipe for compliance to the performance regulations , which could come from SANS 10252-1 , and alternatives . c . SANS 10252-1 could be retained as a code of practice for design with any other internationally approved design standard .
The sad situation is that to date , we still don ’ t have a part for water in the NBR and some entities have sidestepped the engineers who are the professionals and who are supposed to play an important role in the hierarchy of design competence and who have also brought the engineering technology to the documentation , such as SANS 102542-1 and SANS 10252-2 .
In other parts of the world , the engineers are revered and play an important part in the development and design of new technology to advance water engineering , but in South Africa , they are sidelined .
I have always propagated that we work as a team and that we all have a role to play to render the best in terms of design and construction for the benefit of all the people of South Africa . The review board is an essential body that must be reinstated as soon as possible . This body is necessary to address issues when there are disputes , which usually stem from different interpretations of the regulations or rules .
My view is that there must be another body of specialists who can be consulted and give the correct interpretation of a regulation or rule without delay so that the construction is not interrupted or stopped .
Our economy cannot accommodate extended periods of waiting for answers and it is just not affordable .
I recently discovered that some officials don ’ t understand that the NBR is applicable only on the building and related services that happen within the boundaries of the property , and that you cannot apply standards for municipal services inside the property unless it is perhaps used as part of a rational design by the design engineer .
Water has become a serious problem in terms of supply for fire protection in rural areas and small towns , and then a demand exists for huge water storage and pumping facilities on the private properties of shops and other buildings such as office complexes . This is very expensive and stifles development and the creation of work .
In these cases , some local authorities demand that the developer provides services on their properties at the cost of the developer while there is no such requirement in the NBR . It also happens when an existing building is upgraded that it must comply to all the latest regulations plus these additional requirements that are the responsibility of the municipality , but then the property across the street doesn ’ t have such facilities , which seems very unfair .
Read SANS 10400-A carefully , as it contains vital information — one sentence clearly states that the NBR is not intended to be a design handbook . PA
“ I have always propagated that we work as a team and that we all have a role to play .”
www . plumbingafrica . co . za May 2023 Volume 29 I Number 3