Commercial rules particular to Canberra
Trade waste needs approval
By law, you need Icon Water's approval before discharging liquid trade waste to Canberra's wastewater network. Its examples include hairdressers, restaurants, butchers, service stations, supermarkets, dentists, mechanics, schools and vet clinics.
New tenant, new paperwork
An existing approval needs a variation when a new tenant moves in, the business changes, or the pre-treatment changes. Icon Water's example is a cafe that starts serving hot food.
Backflow on every connection
Icon Water says all drinking and recycled water connections must have backflow containment, and owners are responsible for the right device. The dual check valves on its 20 and 25mm meters may not be enough for commercial operations.
Gas only where it already is
New gas connections are blocked in commercial zones too. Exemptions are a last resort, and the Government's policy is that gas-reliant businesses set up where a meter already exists.
Backflow testing in the ACT
Testable backflow devices must be registered with Access Canberra when they're installed, and tested every 12 months. Before doing backflow test work, an ACT licensed plumber needs an endorsement from the registrar, so ask to see it.
Which device you need depends on the hazard your site poses to the supply. Our backflow testing page explains the device types.
Trade waste and the fit-out
Icon Water's standard customer contract doesn't allow trade waste discharge, so an approved business has its own separate contract with Icon Water, agreed through the application.
The approval covers what your business discharges and the pre-treatment it uses. A commercial plumber can plan that pre-treatment with the fit-out, so the plumbing you install matches what you apply for.
Gas for a business in Canberra
If the business needs gas, look for premises that already have a gas connection and meter. Only businesses in commercial or community facility zones can apply for an exemption, and applicants must show why a site with gas can't be used. Buying gas equipment for premises without a connection isn't grounds for an exemption on its own.
Licences and hot water limits
Commercial jobs often need more than one ACT class. Plumbers, drainers and gasfitters hold separate licences, and fire sprinkler fitter is its own plumber class, so check each one on Access Canberra's public register.
In the residential part of aged care buildings, patient care areas, early childhood centres, school areas used by children and facilities for people with a disability, the NCC limits hot water to 45°C. Our national commercial page covers the wider rules.
Questions for a Canberra commercial plumber
- Does this fit-out need a trade waste approval, or a variation to the existing one?
- What backflow device does our hazard rating call for, and who will test it each year?
- Are you endorsed for backflow test work in the ACT?
- Does this site already have a gas connection and meter?
What we would do
Before you sign a lease, ask the landlord three things: is there a trade waste approval for this use, when was the backflow device last tested, and is there a gas meter. The answers can change your fit-out budget more than the fit-out itself. Then bring in a commercial plumber early, so the drawings, the trade waste application and the backflow plan all agree.