Applications & Approvals

We are a licensed plumbing contractor, not a regulator. We do not grant approvals. Approvals are issued by Sydney Water, your local water authority, or your council. What we do is know which ones your job needs, prepare and lodge them, and give you the certification at the end. This page explains what applies and who issues it.

Most home filtration needs no application

A standard under-sink filter, an under-sink reverse osmosis unit, or a whole-house filter fitted to an existing domestic supply is ordinary plumbing work. It must be done by a licensed plumber using certified components, but it does not require a Sydney Water application or a council approval.

What it does require is compliance, and that is not optional.

What always applies

Licensed plumber

In NSW, any work connecting to the potable water supply must be carried out by or under the supervision of a licensed plumber. Our NSW Licensed Contractor and Qualified Supervisor number is 358626C. You can verify any NSW licence through the NSW Fair Trading licence check.

WaterMark certification

The National Construction Code requires plumbing products that carry or contact drinking water to be WaterMark certified. That covers filter housings, taps, fittings and hoses. We use WaterMark-certified components throughout, not as a selling point, but because installing anything else is non-compliant and can void your home insurance.

If you have bought a system online and want us to install it, we will check the certification first. Plenty of imported units are not certified for use in Australia, and we will tell you before, not after.

AS/NZS 3500

The plumbing and drainage standard. It governs how the installation is actually made: pipe sizing, supports, isolation, and how a reverse osmosis drain connects so there is no cross-connection risk.

Certificate of Compliance

Where the work requires one, we issue a Certificate of Compliance and notify the relevant authority. Keep it. You will want it when you sell the property, and an insurer may ask for it after a water damage claim.

When an application is required

Backflow prevention

Any installation that could allow water to flow back into the mains needs a backflow prevention device matched to the hazard rating. For most domestic filtration this is handled by the way the installation is made. For commercial systems, and for higher-hazard applications, a testable device such as an RPZD is required.

Where a testable device is installed, it must be registered with Sydney Water and tested annually by an accredited backflow plumber, with results submitted. We arrange registration at installation and can carry out the annual testing.

Trade waste

Commercial premises discharging anything other than ordinary domestic sewage need a trade waste agreement with Sydney Water. This can apply to larger reverse osmosis and water treatment plant where the concentrate discharge is significant. We identify whether it applies and help you lodge it.

Building plan approval

If a system is being installed as part of a build or renovation that involves the water service or drainage, a Sydney Water building plan approval may be required for the broader works. This is normally handled by the builder or hydraulic consultant, but we will tell you if what we are doing triggers it.

Water meters and new connections

New connections, meter upgrades and separate metering are Sydney Water applications. If your filtration project needs one, which is usually only on commercial or subdivided sites, we will tell you what to lodge.

Approvals that are not ours to give

Some permissions come from people other than a regulator, and they are worth sorting before we book a date:

Strata: work affecting common property, or drilling through a benchtop or cabinetry in some schemes, may need owners corporation approval.
Landlord: if you rent, you need the owner's written consent before permanent plumbing work.
Heritage: heritage-listed properties can have restrictions on visible external plumbing.

Tank, bore and non-mains supply

Rainwater tanks plumbed to indoor use, and bore water, carry their own requirements, including strict separation from the mains supply where both are present, and council conditions in some areas. Bore water extraction may require a licence from WaterNSW. If your property is on an untreated source, tell us at quote stage.

What we do for you

Identify at quote stage which approvals, registrations or certificates your job requires.
Prepare and lodge what needs lodging, and tell you about anything only you can obtain: strata, landlord, heritage.
Install to AS/NZS 3500 using WaterMark-certified components.
Issue the Certificate of Compliance and hand over the documentation.
Keep a copy on your job file, so a replacement is a phone call away.

Official sources

For the authoritative position, go to the source rather than to us:

Sydney Water: connections, approvals, backflow and trade waste.
NSW Fair Trading: plumbing licences and licence checks.
Australian Building Codes Board: the National Construction Code and the WaterMark scheme.
WaterNSW: bore and groundwater licensing.

Requirements change. This page is general information, not advice about your property. See our Website Disclaimer.

Not sure what your job needs? Ask us or call 0421 601 540. Working it out is part of the quote, not an extra.