Drains are pipes laid underground and carry foul or storm water that enters either a sewer or a septic tank. The job of drain laying work is done within a legal boundary. The work of installation and maintenance of the drainage system is done by a certified and licensed layer of the system. The person should have a minimum of four years of training before being eligible to do the work.
What is drain laying?
Drain laying refers to the work of installation, repairs or alternation to a drain along with fixing or unfixing of it to an on-site water disposal system like sewer or septic tank.
It is necessary for the job to comply with the Building Code and if there is a need to get consent for the building, the job should be checked by an inspector from the building control authority of the area. Unless the building inspector signs off the work, there will be no issuance of the code compliance certificate.
For undertaking the job without registration, it is only the clearance of blocked drains without altering or repairing the ventilation pipe or inspection pipe that could be done. This could be done by a service provider of Steel roofing as well.
Who can undertake drain laying?
The job can be undertaken only by a person with necessary certification or license. Drain layer can lay, alter, extend, open up, repair, and reconstruct these and associated traps and also do connection with and away from septic tanks.
The law on drainage and plumbing makes the need for building consent unimportant:
- For an appropriately licensed person to access a drainage system by making use of purpose-made access point.
- When an appropriately licensed person works or supervises small alterations to a service related to private drainage of some residential house.
Hence, if there is a need to install new ones or to alter existing ones, you must get it done by a person with license on laying and has the legal permission to carry out the work, though it may be required by the person to work under supervision.
One of the common problems associated with the system is blockage. There are a number of reasons for it to get blocked like clogging by foreign matter, overloading, misalignment, tree root intrusion, and collapse. The blockage needs to be cleared of blockage by a tradesperson. Although, block clearing does not come under laying, however, for any opening up, reconstruction, alteration, extension or repair work, it is only a licensed layer who can do the work legally.
It also needs to be noted that a belief exists that outfall installation from a septic tank comes under laying. However, this is incorrect and has been proved in law.