The BPC Plumbing Technical Bulletin is a quarterly newsletter that provides Victorian plumbing practitioners with up-to-date information about legislative and regulatory changes, education opportunities and industry trends, with a focus on the technical aspects of their trades.
Each newsletter is sent to plumbing practitioners, industry bodies, engineers and subscribers.
A new regulator with new powers
On Tuesday 1 July, the Building and Plumbing Commission (BPC) launched, heralding a new era of stronger building regulation.
The BPC brings key functions related to building and plumbing regulation together under one roof, including registration, inspection and compliance, practitioner discipline, dispute resolution and domestic building insurance.
The BPC will soon be given new powers to address gaps in the regulatory system – these new powers will significantly improve consumer protection. I look forward to working with industry and sharing more details with you as we get closer to their introduction, which is expected to be later this year.
Updated plumbing and drainage standards (AS/NZS 3500 series)
All plumbing practitioners are reminded that from 20 October 2025 you must ensure your plumbing work undertaken is in accordance with the updated standards for plumbing and drainage, parts 1-4 of AS/NZS 3500.1: 2025.
These standards are referenced in the Plumbing Regulations 2018 and Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA).
I urge plumbing practitioners to familiarise themselves with the updated standards and apply it in their work ahead of the 20 October deadline. Learn more about these changes by visiting the BPC's dedicated AS/NZS 3500 series web page .
Regards,
Steven Baxas
State Building Surveyor
Office of the State Building Surveyor
In this edition...
[VIDEO] Correct installation of above-ground hot and cold water piping
Good plumbing protects more than just your pipes. This video shows how above-ground hot and cold water pipes should be installed in a new home – with the plumber following correct spacing to:
- Keep your water safe
- Reduce risks around electrical service
- Make future maintenance easier.
What's behind the walls matters.
New lead-free plumbing product requirements commencing on 1 May 2026
From 1 May 2026, all plumbing products containing copper alloy that are in contact with drinking water must comply with new lead-free requirements.
This article outlines what these changes mean for the plumbing and buiolding industries and highlights key actions required to ensure projects remain compliant, particularly regarding the specification and procurement of plumbing products during design and documentation stages.
Installing compliant junctions and elevated pipework
We encourage plumbing practitioners to familiarise themselves with part 2 of AS/NZS 3500.2: 2025 Plumbing and drainage: Sanitary Plumbing and Drainage, to ensure the compliant installation of junctions and elevated pipework.
Scheduled maintenance: eToolbox outage – 11 August 2025 (6pm to 9pm)
As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing our online services for industry and consumers, we are making some changes to eToolbox.
eToolbox will undergo scheduled maintenance activity and will not be available on Monday 11 August between 6pm and 9pm.
ESM compliance management and the importance of data and good documentation
A challenge in building compliance is the management of documentation related to the designed performance of the building.
As facility managers change over time, crucial information can be lost, leading to potential risks and inefficiencies in the building's operations. This underscores the need for proactive measures to retain and protect vital data.
Training requirement for plumbers entering the Solar Homes Program
Solar Victoria has released its 2025-26 hot water workforce requirements. It includes a new mandatory requirement for plumbers entering the Solar Homes Program to have completed appropriate training in the design and installation of heat pump hot water systems.
