What is in the PCA

What is In The PCA?

Voice Over: Welcome to this video on what’s in Volume Three of the National Construction Code, also known as the Plumbing Code of Australia or the PCA.

[Music plays and the National Construction Code logo appears. A voice over (female) is heard]

Voice Over: This video sets out to explain the purpose of the PCA, and what’s in its various Sections and Schedules.

[Image changes and the NCC Volume Three logo moves to centre of screen]

Voice Over: The PCA provides the technical requirements for the design and construction of plumbing and drainage systems in new and existing buildings across Australia.

[Image holds and a hand holding a magnifying glass sweeps over and inspects the logo. The magnifying glass then moves towards camera and dissolves out of shot]

Voice Over: The PCA applies to these systems in all classes of buildings whenever plumbing work is carried out and additionally applies to sites independent of buildings.

[Images changes to reveal the structure of a house. Various plumbing products such as a toilet, sink and bath appear throughout the rooms of the house]

Voice Over: The PCA is a national document used by each of the States and Territories and sets the minimum required levels of safety, health, amenity, accessibility and sustainability.

[Image changes to show each State and Territory join to form a map of Australia. Image changes to reveal a drinking glass with “minimum requirements” written across a dotted line. The glass fills with water to the dotted line]

Voice Over: Let’s have a look at what’s in the PCA. The PCA consists of five sections and seven schedules. Firstly, we’ll cover off the sections.

[Image changes and reveals a tablet with a list of the Sections and Schedules. The Sections are highlighted]

Voice Over: Each section contains a common topic. These topics are then broken down into small Parts. Let’s start with Section A – The Governing Requirements. All three Volumes of the NCC now share a common Section A, the Governing Requirements.

[Section A is highlighted and image changes to reveal all three NCC Volume logos]

Voice Over: This Section contains information about how to use and interpret the NCC, understanding the Performance Requirements, what a Performance Solution is, what building classifications are and more.

[The three logos merge and form the NCC logo. Image changes and a tablet appears, displaying the titles Performance Requirements, Performance Solutions and Building Classifications]

Voice Over: Section A includes the application of the WaterMark Certification Scheme to plumbing products and materials relevant to the PCA.

[Image changes and the WaterMark logo appears]

Voice Over: Sections B through to E contain more specific technical topics. They include mandatory Performance Requirements for each section and outline the compliance options for satisfying these Performance Requirements.

[Image changes and a tablet appears, highlighting Sections B through to E in a list]

Voice Over: Section B – Water services. This Section sets out the requirements for cold, heated, non-drinking and fire-fighting water services, cross-connection control, and rainwater harvesting and use.

[Image holds and Section B is highlighted. Image changes to reveal the structure of a house with water cycling through a water pipe into the house]

Voice Over: Section C – Sanitary plumbing and drainage systems. As the title of this Section suggests, it covers any part of a sanitary plumbing and sanitary drainage system.

[Image changes to briefly show Section C highlighted on a computer screen before a plumber is revealed fixing a sink]

Voice Over: Section D – Excessive noise. Section D contains the requirements to prevent excessive noise being generated from a plumbing and drainage system that could cause illness or loss of amenity to occupants in a building.

[Image changes to briefly show Section D highlighted on a computer screen before the plumber is revealed placing on a pair of safety ear muffs, as the sink is shown to generate excessive noise]

Voice Over: Section E – Facilities. This Section sets out the requirements to allow people with disability to use the facilities provided by a plumbing and drainage system.

[Image changes to briefly show Section E highlighted on a computer screen before a sink for people with a disability is revealed]

Voice Over: Next, we’ll look at the common schedules that are referenced within each of the Sections of the PCA.

[Image changes and a laptop is revealed, displaying the NCC website and highlights the Schedules of the PCA]

Voice Over: Schedule 1 - State and Territory Variations and Additions. Practitioners need to be aware of State and Territory variations and additions that apply to the PCA, as they are law in the State or Territory that they apply to. Variations occur where a State or Territory varies a provision contained in the PCA. Additions occur where a State or Territory adds a provision for a matter that is not otherwise contained in the PCA.

[Image holds and Schedule 1 – State and Territory Variations and Additions is highlighted. The states and territories are on a map of Australia are highlighted one at a time]

Voice Over: Schedule 2 - Abbreviations and Symbols. This is an alphabetical list of abbreviations and symbols used throughout the NCC.

[Image holds and Schedule 2 – Abbreviations and Symbols is highlighted]

Voice Over: Schedule 3 – Definitions. The meanings of the defined terms in the PCA are found in this schedule. Each volume of the NCC has the same definitions and within the code, a defined term is written in italics.

[Image holds and Schedule 3 – Definitions is highlighted]

Voice Over: Schedule 4 - Reference Documents. The NCC itself does not contain details of every design and construction requirement for a building, plumbing or drainage system. As such, the NCC calls upon or ‘references’ other documents with this information. These are called NCC referenced documents. The most common example is an Australian Standard. All referenced documents are listed in Schedule 4 of the NCC.

[Image holds and Schedule 4 – Referenced Documents is highlighted]

Voice Over: Schedules 5 through to 7 don’t directly relate to the PCA, but have been included as part of the common NCC structure. They are:

• Schedule 5 - Fire-Resistance of Building Elements;
• Schedule 6 -Fire Hazard Properties; and
• Schedule 7 - Fire Safety Verification Method.

[Image holds and Schedules 5, 6 and 7 are highlighted one at a time]

Voice Over: That summarises what’s inside the PCA. To find out the details of each of the sections and schedules, access the NCC from the ABCB website.

[Image changes to show the ABCB logo and website]