In South East Queensland there are no water restrictions applicable to residential or business. Contrary to some ill-informed social media content there have been no water restrictions since 1 January 2013.
All council areas in South East Queensland are interconnected via the Seqwater water grid. This ensures the entire region has access to twenty-six dams and the Gold Coast desalination plant for drinking water.
As a result of the current prolonged dry conditions, the inflows into the dams are the lowest in ten years. Currently water grid capacity is under 60%. If there are no major inflows from the rain in the next six months it is likely water restrictions will be introduced in mid-2020.
As a result of water grid capacity continuing to drop Seqwater is encouraging everyone to become more aware of their water usage. Ensuring everyone makes an effort now to reduce their water use can make a big difference in the introduction of water restrictions.
Seqwater continually updates water consumption across the six local water service providers. These updates are interesting comparisons of average daily residential consumption. In the last year, residential consumption on the Gold Coast has increased from 177 litres per person per day to 234 litres.
Some of this increased consumption is attributed to increased watering of gardens and lawns. Having a water wise garden is always a positive way to manage your garden and ensure it flourishes year-round.
Maintaining Your Garden
Having a water wise garden reduces your water usage and allows your garden to stay healthy. Healthy plants are important through all climate conditions. During the current drought, you need to be aware that your plants do reduce stress levels and purify the air.
Your water wise garden is crucial to the environment as all plants contribute to stabilising the ecosystem. Healthy plants all contribute to not only releasing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide they also are a critical part of the water cycle. Your plants also provide birds, insects and small animals with habitats to assist their survival and give them shade.
Maintaining your water wise garden is not a burdensome chore. In fact, the suggestions below should be your normal management techniques to ensuring you have a flourishing water wise garden and lawn year round no matter what climatic conditions we are experiencing.
Water early in the day
Evaporation will occur all year round in South East Queensland so to give your plants a drink early to reduce the evaporation of the water you are giving them.
In summer when the sun rises early we recommend you irrigate your garden and lawn before 6 am. In winter this can be wound back to 8 am.
If you cannot water early then the second choice is to water late. The heat of the day has diminished by 4 pm and can be a relaxing way to end the day by watering your gardens and lawn with a hose.
Be efficient in your watering technique
Whether your watering with a hose or a watering can you need to be efficient and effective. This means you need to water plants deeply and directly on to the root zone area which is at the stem of the plant.
This targeting deep watering technique increases the plant’s water uptake and trains the plant to expect less frequent watering.
Don’t water the foliage
Watering the foliage may make you feel good in seeing water dripping off the leaves but it achieves very little and is a waste of water. The only water needed for a healthy plant is in the root zone.
Watering foliage increases evaporation and assists pests feeding on the foliage. The incidence of plant diseases also increases with constant watering of foliage.
Maintain water levels in your soil
Water crystals or water beads or hydrogel are all water crystals and are a perfect additive to your garden once you have moist soil around your plants.
The water crystals will maintain moisture levels in the root zone around your plants which is where the water is needed. The crystals are small granules made from a water-absorbent polymer. Using them as a soil additive assists your plants to withstand drought conditions as they can expand to six hundred times their size after they come into contact with water. Once expanded they create a water-holding gel that slowly releases water to the plant’s roots.
Choose drought-tolerant plants for your garden
Your water wise garden will thrive when you use plants that are native to your locality. Plants such as most succulent varieties are a good starting point as is philodendron. To get the best advice on the best drought-tolerant plants for your garden we recommend you visit your local specialist nursery who are usually horticultural experts.
Adding a seaweed solution
The perfect health tonic for your plants is the addition of a seaweed solution to your periodic watering schedule. There are many seaweed solutions available which assist your plants to retain water which increases their hydration levels.
Lay mulch in your garden
It’s widely accepted mulching is essential for every garden. Mulching, especially in summer, is vital to reducing evaporation and ensuring your soil remains moist and cool.
Mulch combined with water crystals in the soil increases the soil’s water holding capacity. This combination ensures your water wise garden gets the most out of every drop of water.
Mulch correctly laid and maintained is also the visual finishing touch to your garden.
Install an irrigation system
If you are time-poor installing a drip irrigation system is a perfect solution to maintaining a water wise garden. Drip irrigation is literally what it says in that it allows water to drip slowly into the root zone of plants.
A drip irrigation system can be installed by you if you feel competent in doing so. There are many systems available many of which promote the DIY installation. But remember you always get the quality you pay for so choose carefully.
Drip irrigation systems must be legally connected to your water supply which is where many DIY installations fail with consequences that can be damaging to your family’s health.
If you need expert advice on installing a legally compliant water connection with a timer tap for your garden’s irrigation system then contact us anytime on (07) 5580 4311
Once the footy finals are over, we know it’s spring, as the weather warms and evening barbecues become the norm. But for many people, spring is a time to be dreaded. That’s because the advent of spring means its hay fever season for one in five Australians.
Hay fever season comes in stages over the spring and summer. The first stage will be in October/November when windborne pollens of plants and grasses cause allergens. When the pollens become trapped in your nose or eyes, they release their allergens. Fortunately, the pollen allergens are benign, but for one in five of us, our body misreads them as being harmful and fights back. This results in our body producing mucus to expel the pollen allergens.
As the body fights the pollen allergens watery, itchy bloodshot eyes along with a runny nose and sneezing are the most common symptoms of what we refer to as hay fever.
Filtered Water & Hay Fever
As proactive prevention should always be the #1 action, you should start with installing a Taqua built-in filtration tap. The filter built into the Taqua tap will remove chlorine and impurities from your tap water. Best of all for hay fever sufferers a Taqua tap is guaranteed to retain the minerals your body needs in your tap water.
Your #2 action in hay fever season should be to drink 800 ml of hot water every day from your Taqua tap. Drinking hot water at 50 ºC assists in easing common hay fever symptoms such as sneezing and a runny nose.
This simple action of drinking hot filtered water will make your life more comfortable if you suffer from hay fever plus will assist your general health due to its detoxing effects on the body.
Your #3 action in the hay fever season is to rinse your eyes regularly with cold water to flush out the pollens. Using the filtered cold water from your Taqua tap will ensure that you are not washing chemicals such as chlorine directly into your body.
Filtered Water & Vegetables
We all know that eating fresh fruit and vegetables assists in our overall health, particularly in the hay fever season.
Did you know washing your fresh fruit and vegetables with ordinary tap water loses many of their valuable minerals?
The reason for this mineral loss is due to the free chlorine in ordinary tap water that reacts with the minerals in fruit and vegetables, causing the minerals to break down. In fact, 10% – 30% of all minerals are lost due to washing fruit and vegetables in tap water.
Using a Taqua built-in filtration tap with its veggie spray function is the perfect solution to wash fruit and vegetables to ensure they retain all their vitamins.
Cooking with filtered water from a Taqua built-in filtration tap is a simple way to improve the taste, smell and colour of your food.
Like for Like Hot Water Service Replacement Online Pricing Scams
In Queensland, if you see online website prices or are quoted over the phone a price for like for like hot water service replacement for an electric or gas storage tank¹system, don’t believe one word of it. The prices are a sham designed to scam you into calling them to book in the job.
The Reality is Like For Like Replacements Seldom Exist
The prices quoted above are about right for a like for like installation. The problem is probably only one person in a hundred would qualify for this pricing.
I can 99% guarantee²you will not receive that price for a legally compliant hot water service replacement issued with aQBCC Form 4 compliance certificate.
The pricing and terminology are deliberately deceptive and are a scam. I will categorically state the prices are absolutely bullshit and lies, for most installations.
Going back over ten years ago yes all plumbers undertook like for like hot water service replacement when replacing electric or gas storage hot water tanks. Simply this was legally compliant at the time and accepted industry practice.
What is Like for Like Hot Water Service Replacement?
“Like for like” installation is frequently seen as the basis of website pricing as a starting point for replacing your hot water system. They usually use confusing terminology, stating that the pricing starts from what is a low price for a like for like installation. They then vaguely define like for like as being for replacing the hot water system where it is:
the same type of hot water system as the old hot water system
that the hot water system is being installed in precisely the same location as the old hot water system
that the new hot water system is the same size as the old hot water system
that the new hot water system has the same electrical requirements as the old hot water system
Of course, it’s not explained clearly like I have using sixty-seven words. Instead, they tell all that in one compressed, thirty-four-word sentence.
Naturally, there will be getting out of gaol clauses that are again vague and confusing. These clauses will state that other costs may be incurred because:
you have individual site installation requirements to ensure your like for like hot water service replacement is compliant with all regulations
if you require any additional valves installed that were not in the like for like scope of works
if you request the removal and disposal of the old hot water service
if you require a new concrete slab or support base
if you need any additional piping to be installed
if you require any additional electrical wiring or any electrical work other than disconnecting and reconnecting
any work whatsoever that is required to the existing plumbing, electrical or gas infrastructure to ensure your like for like hot water service replacement is compliant with the council, state or commonwealth regulations
any additional labour or equipment required due to site access conditions
Like for Like is at Best An Estimate of the Installation Cost Only
All of the above are standard requirements on any hot water system replacement to meet the legal requirements of the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 and thePlumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019.
The whole reason all of the above and many more possibilities are excluded from a like for like hot water service replacement offer is to fool you.
Ultimately every existing hot water service installation has individual requirements when installing a replacement hot water service. That is why a website price or a quote over the phone is meaningless.
You can only ever get a correct price for replacing your old, leaking hot water service after a comprehensive site inspection. In the small print on all websites that quote like for like replacements, they almost always state somewhere that pricing may change once their plumber undertakes a site inspection
Why Is A Like for Like Hot Water Service Replacement Non-Compliant?
The photo below is a Dux 50litre electric hot water servicethat has been replaced like for like.Except it is utterly non-compliant because:
the hot water pipes are not insulated
the relief valve is not insulated
there is no pressure reduction valve
there is no cold-water expansion valve
there is no tempering valve
as it is an internal installation, there is no hot water tray to contain water leaking from the tank, pipes or valves
there is no automatic shutoff valve to cut off the water should there be a leak
there was no QBCC form 4 given to the property owner
There is no such thing as a like for like installation. There is definitely no such thing as an exemption for a QBCC Form 4 compliance certificate if you are only undertaking a like for like installation.
What is Required to Replace a Leaking Hot Water Service?
If your hot water service is leaking and requires a replacement then in all likelihood it will be at least eight years old and probably much more. I can guarantee the infrastructure regarding valves and overflow drains will not be compliant with the legal requirements that we must now adhere to.
We recently replaced the nine-year-oldSiddons heat pumpunit in the photo below that was no longer functioning with a CO2 Smart Heat Pump hot water unit. Even though it was only installed nine years ago, it was utterly non-compliant with the current requirements.
Every Hot Water System Replacement Must Be Upgraded to be Compliant With AS/NZS 3500.4:2018
This standard, along with several other standards, is called into law via the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 and the Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019.
The installation of a new or replacement hot water service must comply absolutely with the standard and in particular Section 5 Installation of Water Heaters – General Requirements. The scope of this section states explicitly:This Section sets out general requirements for the installation of water heaters, their location, support, cold water service valves, the vent or drain lines, and the first 2 m of heated water supply piping.
This section sets out exactly how all hot water service installations must be undertaken. Nowhere does it refer to a like for like hot water service replacement.
Noprofessional, reputable plumberwill quote you on a like for like installation as they know it does not exist. Companies who market on this basis are engaging in deceptive and misleading marketing to get their foot in your door, so they can then upsell you.
Any plumber who starts telling you that you can get a lower price with a like for like replacement is simply a liar.
Every hot water service replacement must have a Form 4 compliance certificate lodged with the QBCC and the appropriate fee paid. Ultimately this is for your protection as compliantly installed plumbing, and drainage installation is about protecting your health.
Replacing a hot water service does not involve guesswork it’s about merely obeying the law and being compliant with the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018. If you have had your hot water service replaced as a like for like replacement you need to report it now to theQBCC as an offence complaint. The plumber who undertook the installation will be required to return and complete the installation in compliance with the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 at his cost.
If you are uncertain about your hot water service replacement or need assistance contact us on(07) 5580 4311and we will give you our opinion on how to proceed.
Footnotes
¹ :Replacing an instantaneous gas hot water unit is frequently like for like as it is a straight disconnection and reconnection to the gas connection and to the water pipes. In most instantaneous units, there is no need to install or replace valves as all management of temperature is undertaken inside the unit.
² :The only time I have seen a compliant like for like replacement is when a faulty hot water service has had to be replaced within the first 12 months after installation and was already fully compliant. This is a genuine like for like replacement under the manufacturers guarantee where the client pays nothing and where everything concerning the plumbing and electrical infrastructure was already compliant.
We often receive questions from clients regarding why we charge them for Form 4. The straightforward answer is that it is required by law.
The Form 4 system for plumbing and drainage work has existed for over two decades.
Initially, licensed plumbers had to submit Form 4 to local authority plumbing inspectors. For those on the Gold Coast, this meant submitting the form to the City of Gold Coast’s Plumbing and Drainage section when replacing part of the sewer house drain, water main, or hot water service.
In 2012, legislative changes mandated plumbers lodge Form 4 with the Department of Housing and Public Works through the Plumbing Industry Council (PIC). This was the first time a fee was introduced for lodging a Form 4, which amounted to $25.90. In 2014, the Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) assumed responsibility for the Form 4 process as part of their role in overseeing occupational plumbing licensing.
Once Form 4 is submitted, it may be subject to a random compliance audit to ensure the work adheres to the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 and the Plumbing and Drainage Regulation 2019. This process guarantees that work is carried out to the highest standards, safeguarding everyone’s well-being, health, and safety.
Whywait Plumbing has always been a proponent of the Form 4 process, as it ensures that all work on your property is compliant and registered with both the QBCC and the City of Gold Coast. In the event of a significant insurance claim involving plumbing failure, an accessor can easily trace the work to confirm that it was performed legally and in compliance with regulations.
In essence, Form 4 serves to protect homeowners.
Which areas of plumbing & drainage work are classified as notifiable work?
The definitions of notifiable work were updated on 1 July 2019 to ensure clarity and usability and establish cost-effective plumbing laws and regulations for both plumbers and property owners.
Twelve primary categories of notifiable plumbing and drainage work necessitate a Form 4:
Extending water supply pipes – involves work on water reticulation pipes other than fire services in existing buildings.
Extending or removing a fire service – applies to class 2-9 buildings with development approval as per schedule 2 of the Building Act 1975.
Existing sanitary plumbing – pertains to work in existing buildings where sanitary plumbing is removed, replaced, altered, or extended.
Existing sanitary drainage – concerns work on existing class 1 to class 10 buildings involving extension, replacement, alteration, or removal of any part of the sanitary drain system (excluding a combined sanitary drain). This also applies to extensions or alterations to a class 1 building.
Temperature control devices – includes work with thermostatic mixing valves (TMVs) or tempering valves in existing buildings that require installing, replacing, or removing a valve. This also applies to extensions or alterations to a class 1 building.
Water heaters – involves work in existing buildings requiring installing, replacing, or removing a hot water heater. This also applies to extensions or alterations to a class 1 building.
Backflow prevention devices – work with testable backflow devices or dual check valves in existing buildings that require installing, replacing, or removing a valve. This also applies to extensions or alterations to a class 1 building.
Greywater treatment plants – pertains to work involving installing a greywater use system that includes a greywater treatment plant installed in a sewered area where the plant generates less than 3kL of greywater daily or for replacing a greywater plant.
Fixtures in class 1 or class 10 buildings – include work required for installing a new fixture or relocating an existing fixture in class 1 or class 10 buildings. This also applies to extensions or alterations to a class 1 building.
Fixtures for class 2 to 9 buildings of 1 or 2 storeys – applies to all work other than sanitary drainage required for installing or relocating a fixture, provided the work is for an existing class 2 to 9 building up to two storeys above ground.
Sanitary drains – involves sealing a sanitary drain after the connection point to the council sewer or a treatment plant.
Sealing supply pipes – includes work to seal a water supply pipe after the council water meter, provided the work is for an existing class 2 to class 9 building.
The QBCC provides easy-to-understand guides on notifiable work and the definitions of building classes as outlined in the Building Code of Australia, which can be downloaded below:
Every reputable professional plumber I know wholeheartedly supports the notifiable work system. This support ensures that homeowners and property owners can trust that all work carried out on their property adheres to the required standards.
If you have had plumbing or drainage work done and have not been provided with a Form 4, as shown above, and the work falls under the listed categories, you should report it to the QBCC immediately or call them at 139333. High-quality plumbing and drainage work is essential for protecting your health.
If you are uncertain or need assistance, don’t hesitate to contact us at (07) 5580 4311; we will offer our opinion. Ultimately, all plumbing work is not about guesswork but compliance with the law, specifically the Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018.
Repeat clients account for over 70% of the jobs Whywait Plumbing undertake.
Last weekend being the Queens Birthday long weekend coupled with the NRL Grand Final meant one of our loyal clients Kristian was looking forward to a great weekend. The last thing Kristian was anticipating was needing an emergency plumber Mermaid Beach as he drove home from work. Kristian arrived home on Saturday night to gurgling sounds coming from his bathroom. Upon investigation, he found the only toilet in his unit was blocked.
Nathan Parrish of Whywait Plumbing
Even though it was 7.45 pm on a Saturday night, Kristian immediately contacted Whywait Plumbing Gold Coast as he knew the phones would be answered. Kristian was concerned his unit had blocked drains. Kristian confirmed all the details with Whywait Plumbing’s Operations Manager, who was answering the phones.
The Plumbing Technician on call was Nathan, with him being dispatched immediately as Whywait Plumbing offer a 1-hour emergency response.
Arriving at 8.45 pm, Nathan again found the toilet blocked and a high water level in the shower floor waste. As Kristian’s unit has no accessible inspection openings into the sewer drains, it was a possibility that the toilet pan would need removing. Nathan set about testing all the drains in the unit to ascertain the extent of the blockage. Kristian’s home is a small unit in what was once a motel that has been converted into individual home units.
Although the bathroom fixtures had been upgraded, the underlying drainage was the original sewer drainage system. To Kristian’s relief, Nathan found that the blockage was confined to the toilet as the rest of the fixtures were draining correctly.
Using his Rothenberg toilet auger, Nathan was able to guide the auger through the toilet pan without removing it. After patiently operating the auger, Nathan was able to clear the blockage. Flushing the toilet several times to test it indicated that the blockage was cleared.
Nathan cleaned up the bathroom and departed at 9.20 pm leaving behind a relieved Kristian.
Sadly Kristian’s problems were not over. On Sunday night Kristian gathered with a few of his mates at home to watch the NRL Grand Final between the Sydney Roosters and Canberra Raiders. At 5.30 pm Kristian heard the dreaded gurgling sound originating from his bathroom again. Immediately he was on the phone to Whywait Plumbing, and for the second night in a row, Nathan was dispatched to deal with a blocked drain.
Nathan Parrish inspecting the blocked toilet for Kristian
Arriving at 6.05 pm, Nathan again found the toilet again blocked and a high water level in the shower floor waste. As Kristian’s unit has no accessible inspection openings into the sewer drains, it was a possibility that the toilet pan would need removing this time.
Using an extended auger unit, Nathan set about patiently negotiating it through the toilet pan S bend and down the sewer drain. Kristian watched while Nathan set about dispatching the auger down the drain without damaging the toilet pan. Finally, after 15 minutes of slow progress, Nathan hit the blockage and managed to clear it.
Nathan cleaned up the bathroom again and departed at 6.55 pm leaving behind a relieved Kristian and his mates as they were now able to watch the NRL Grand Final and know they had working drains and best of all a flushing toilet.
Kristian was so impressed with the service from Whywait Plumbing that he gave us a 5-star review on Google and contacted Gary Mays the owner of Whywait Plumbing to commend Nathan’s skills and recommend he be given a pay rise.
If you too are experiencing blocked drains like Kristian and need an emergency plumber Mermaid Beach to attend promptly don’t hesitate to pick up your phone and give us a call on (07) 5580 4311.
