FITTING THOUGHT 1
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Skills, Supply, Sustainability and Safeguarding the Public
In this Fitting Thought, we look at the themes commonly echoed by the World Plumbing Council( WPC).
In the March 2026 edition of Plumbing Africa, the feature delved into the topics echoed across the WPC, which will be the focus of the World Plumbing Conference to be hosted this month. Here, we re-look at those topics in a South African context, as well as possible solutions to them as mimicked in the overall theme of the conference:‘ Worldwide Problems, Global Solutions’.
Theme one: Skills Development The use of unqualified people doing plumbing work in South Africa has been a persistent problem for years. Programmes that target potential plumbers are advertised as a source of income given that there is a monthly stipend being paid to the candidate while studying, which many potential plumbers may opt for, as the‘ traditional route’ can be costly. This leads to the conundrum of unqualified people doing plumbing work, where someone who has done some training – but not completed their qualification – may choose to offer plumbing services as a business.
Theme two: Supply and Conservation At the base of conservation and supply lies two questions:‘ How do we reduce water wastage?’ and‘ How do we reduce water usage?’ Although there are water-efficient products available in the South African market, at the end of the day if you don’ t have the right plumber doing the project he might not be aware of these products, and water is unnecessarily wasted. Furthermore, non-compliant products, poor installation and lack of maintenance can also lead to water wastage.
Theme three: Sustainability The question surrounding sustainability is‘ How do we sustain and maintain infrastructure?’ The current infrastructure cannot keep up with the current
water demand, mostly due to urbanisation. The treatment of wastewater, water being low-cost and too readily available, are also adding to the sustainability issue, because the value of water is overlooked.
Theme four: Safeguarding the Public Ultimately, this all comes down to safeguarding the public – the use of non-compliant products as well as poor maintenance and workmanship of plumbing systems can result in sewage entering the water source and contaminating the water source. Contaminated water can cause a variety of different water-borne diseases, presenting serious risks to the consumer and contributing to poor water and sanitation systems within South Africa.
South African solutions
• Enforcement of laws, bylaws and the South African National Standards( SANS) is critical – police and inspectors need to ensure that all buildings are compliant to SANS and have COCs where required.
• Target children who are good at working with their hands at school level to become plumbers – this creates a desire to be part of the industry and qualify as a plumber.
• Education of consumers – teach the risks of using‘ the cheaper guy’ and non-compliant products, in terms of safety and long-term cost.
• Work-place experience can be integrated into current training options.
• To prevent water wastage, non-compliant products need to be removed from shelves and stores, so that they are out of the system entirely.
• South Africa can adopt the wide range of sustainability products and systems available, including: rainwater harvesting, filtration systems, boreholes, underground water / storm water management, heat pumps, solar-powered geysers, mini recycled wastewater plants, water-efficient products such as taps, mixers and shower heads. PA
Megan
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June 2026 Volume 32 I Number 04 www. plumbingafrica. co. za