A certifying or licensed drainlayer can lay, alter, reconstruct, extend, repair and open up drains and associated traps and connect drains up to and away from waste water treatment stations (septic tanks).
If you require new drains to be installed or existing drains altered you must engage a person who holds a current drainlaying licence and is legally entitled to carry out this work (remembering that this person may be required to operate under supervision).
The most common problem that occurs with a drain is blockage. Blockages occur for a number of reasons; foreign matter dropped down the drain, tree root intrusion, overloading, collapse, misalignment. A blockage in a drain will usually require the services of a tradesperson who can clear the blockage. Clearing a blocked drain is not regarded as drainlaying, however, anytime a drain is opened up, altered, reconstructed, extended or repaired then that work can only be legally undertaken by a licensed drainlayer.
Similarly, people believe the installation of the outfall from an onsite waste water system not to be drainlaying. However, this is incorrect and has now been proven in law when a non-registered person installed drip lines from an onsite waste water installation.
Licence category | Certifying Drainlayer
- The highest qualification available. These people are qualified and registered. They are responsible for ensuring both their own work and the work of anyone they supervise is done competently.
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Licence category | Tradesman Drainlayer
- These people are qualified and registered and usually work independently. However, a nominated certifying tradesperson (supervisor), is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the work is done competently.
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Licence category | Journeyman Drainlayer
- These people have completed a trade qualification but have not passed the Board's licensing exam. They are registered and authorised.
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Training | Limited Certificate Trainee Drainlayer
- These are people who are working towards becoming qualified. They can do the work but must be supervised by a certifying person who is ultimately responsible for ensuring the work is done competently.
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Licence category | Exemptions
- These people are not registered and don't have a full qualification, but they can do plumbing work provided they are supervised by a certifying person (direct supervision for the first two years), who must ensure that the work is done competently.
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