Sanitary plumbers to be licenced from 2018: PUB

SINGAPORE — All sanitary plumbers will have to be licenced from April 1, 2018, announced the national water agency PUB on Monday (April 24).

The PUB’s existing licenced water service plumber scheme – which covers only water service plumbers – will be expanded to cover sanitary plumbers as well under a new licenced plumber scheme.

Sanitary plumbers install or repair sanitary appliances, pipes and sanitary drain-lines which convey used water from buildings/premises to public sewers, whereas water service plumber do installation and repair works on water pipes, tanks, taps and fittings which convey water supplied by PUB in buildings and/or premises.

The new licencing regime will place the plumbing industry under the authority of the PUB, with both water service and sanitary plumbers operating under one common licence.

The PUB said the move will raise plumbers’ competency as they will be able to execute both types of plumbing work. It will also offer additional level of quality assurance for consumers as only licenced plumbers will be held accountable for the plumbing work, before a qualified person certifies that the works adhere to regulatory standard.

From April 1, 2018, developers and homeowners who require both water service and sanitary plumbing services can engage just one licenced plumber to do both works. They can refer to the PUB website (www.pub.gov.sg) for a full list of licenced plumbers available for hire, as well as a list of water service and sanitary works which must be carried out by a licenced plumber.

Some 260 water service plumbers, currently licensed by PUB who also hold the Singapore Plumbing Society (SPS) registration certificate for sanitary plumbers, will automatically qualify for the new licence. The agency said this is because they have obtained the requisite training and are already practising and familiar with the industry codes of practise for both water services and sanitary work.

The rest will need to complete the Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) builder certificate course and attend the PUB’s sanitary and/or water service plumbing course to obtain the new licence.

The PUB is also giving some estimated 600 licenced water service plumbers and 22 SPS-registered sanitary plumbers up to Sept 30, 2018 to get the full set of necessary qualifications to obtain the new licence.

They can offer water service or sanitary plumbing services up to Sept 30, 2018, after which it is an offence for anyone to carry out water service or sanitary plumbing works without a valid licence.

The public can direct their queries or report practises by unlicenced plumbers to the building management or PUB’s 24-hour Call Centre at 1800-CALL-PUB (1800-2255-782).