12 ASSOCIATIONS
Strong legislation and
enforcement: an economic driver
for the plumbing industry
By
Brendan Reynolds, executive director, IOPSA
Many supporters of free market economies would balk at this
statement, but the fact is that for the plumbing industry in
South Africa to survive and grow we desperately need strong
legislation and enforcement.
In two successive annual surveys by the Institute
of Plumbing South Africa (IOPSA), plumbers have
indicated that the biggest barriers to their growth and
success are unqualified ‘plumbers’ operating in the
market and the use of cheap non-compliant products.
Furthermore, studies have shown that unqualified ‘plumbers’
outnumber qualified plumbers by nearly 10:1. One may ask
how this came to be. South Africa has good laws, regulations
and national standards in place. Investment in vocational
education and training is massive and plumbing has
been identified as a critical skill. One would think that this
environment would support the legitimate qualified Plumbers
and enable growth and development, but there are crucial
elements that are lacking.
Enforcement
The frontline of enforcement in South Africa is Building
Control Officers, and in certain municipalities, the
Water Inspectors. They are charged with ensuring that
only qualified plumbers conduct plumbing installations
using compliant products on new buildings. The biggest
problem we are facing is that they do not get involved
in replacements, repairs, upgrades and non-structural
renovations. In many instances they are only mandated to
inspect the drainage systems and not the entire plumbing
system. As an example, it is estimated that 30 000 to 40
000 geysers are replaced each month in South Africa;
of these only an estimated 25-30% receive a certificate
of compliance as required by the South African National
The legislative environment
Plumbing in South Africa is regulated by a series of laws,
regulations, by-laws and national standards. When looking
at the laws governing plumbers, one must refer to several
different pieces of legislation, many of which are more than
20 years old. There is no single law which governs plumbing
and drain laying. This creates confusion and often leaves
things open to interpretation and therefore abuse. Further
complicating matters is the municipal by-laws. While some
municipalities, particularly the larger metros, have good bylaws
that are controlled and maintained, by far the majority
of municipalities have outdated and inadequate bylaws
which often refer to defunct legislation or standards. In a
few instances they require now illegal practices or the use of
discontinued products.
Fortunately, we have good and well-maintained installation
and product National Standards (SANS) but for them to be
effective they need the support of clear legislation. I am
not proposing scrapping the current legislative framework
(although it could do with a bit of updating), rather I am
suggesting that, like many other countries, we develop a
single piece of legislation which clarifies and consolidates all
the existing legislation. The simple truth is that when people
do not understand the laws, they will not abide by them.
Eamonn Ryan
Brendan Reynolds, executive director: IOPSA.
www.plumbingafrica.co.za @plumbingonline @plumbingonline @PlumbingAfricaOnline September 2020 Volume 26 I Number 07