If you intend to undertake any on-site plumbing and drainage work, you must notify NSW Fair Trading (or a relevant delegated authority) to provide them with an opportunity to inspect the work to ensure that it meets the required standards.
For the purposes of this notification, plumbing and drainage work includes the construction, maintenance or alteration of any plumbing or drainage infrastructure (e.g. pipes, fittings, etc) up to the point of connection where that infrastructure joins to a water supply (e.g. public water supply service, water tank, etc), public sewerage network or an on-site sewage management system (e.g. septic tank). Other types of plumbing and drainage work are not required to be inspected under this process, please contact the relevant authority for further details.
This inspection process is handled by different authorities in different areas of NSW:
- NSW Fair Trading is the relevant authority where the water and / or sewerage services are operated by the Sydney Water or Hunter Water corporations.
- In all other areas of NSW, the relevant local Council (under Delegation from Fair Trading) is the relevant authority.
Please note that:
- all plumbing and drainage work undertaken in NSW must be completed by a licensed plumber
- the Notice of Work must be completed by the licensed plumber undertaking the work on your behalf
- if your plumbing and drainage work does meet the required standards you will be provided with a certificate of compliance
- this process only certifies that the plumbing and drainage work meets the required standards
- before you undertake the proposed plumbing and drainage work you must gain approval to do so from the relevant authorities (e.g. the relevant local Council, Sydney Water and / or Hunter Water corporations).
