Coronavirus Melbourne: DIY toilet plumbing warning as bidet installs increase with toilet paper hoarding
Victorian do-it-yourself plumbers spurred on by recent toilet paper shortages are being urged to remove their dunny handiwork due to fears their households may end up drinking contaminated water.
East
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Unless you want to drink dirty water, the Victorian Building Authority is urging home renovators not to install bidets, douche sprays or handheld hoses.
DIY projects in the bathroom have increased following the hoarding of toilet paper in the first few weeks of the coronavirus crisis, the authority reported, and the problem of non-complaint works has become so serious major retailers are putting up notices in shops warning consumers about the health risks.
VBA operations director Alison Byrne said DIY plumbing posed a significant health risk to households and also their neighbours.
“Sewage can contaminate the drinking water supply through backflow or back-siphonage, causing infections, diarrhoea or other health problems,” Ms Byrne said.
“All homemade, self-installed and non-compliant sanitary toileting products are illegal, pose a health risk to the community and should be removed from bathrooms and toilets immediately.”
She said the authority wanted to remind consumers that bidets, douche sprays and handheld hoses could only be installed by a plumber registered or licensed in the class of Water Supply.
Ms Byrne said any homemade DIY installations were illegal and breached plumbing regulations and technical standards.
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“Plumbers can only install fittings to the water supply if it is protected by a high-hazard backflow-prevention device to prevent contaminated sewage water getting into the drinking water supply and, potentially, that of neighbouring properties,” she said.
“Bidets, douche sprays and handheld hoses cannot be connected to a recycled water service.”
She said any plumbers asked to install any of those devices in a bathroom or toilet must be registered or licensed in Water Supply work.
“Any plumber carrying out this work without an appropriate registration or licence is in breach of section 221D of the Building Act 1993 and subject to penalties,” Ms Byrne said.