NCC 2025 Volume Three Plumbing Code of Australia

The Victorian Government announced that the National Construction Code (NCC) Volume Three Plumbing Code of Australia (PCA) 2025 would take effect in Victoria from 1 May 2026.

The following information explains what changes are for plumbing practitioners. PCA 2025 changes include:

• Lead-free plumbing products
• Combined sprinkler and hydrant systems
• Drinking water and non-drinking water services
• Cross-connection control, rainwater collection
• Sanitary plumbing and drainage
• Low-risk on-site liquid trade waste management.

Lead-free plumbing products

PCA 2025 requires copper alloy plumbing products in contact with drinking water, and installed in Victoria, must be certified under WaterMark and carry the Lead Free WaterMark logo. Relevant plumbing work commenced on or after 1 May 2026 must comply with these requirements.

Compliance certificates for jobs that have commenced before 1 May 2026, containing multiple types of fittings, must be issued as indicated below.

Option 1: Multiple compliance certificates

• Submit a compliance certificate for the work completed before 1 May 2026 to certify the work under the existing requirements
• Submit a compliance certificate for the work completed from 1 May 2026

Option 2: Single compliance certificate

• Submit a compliance certificate for all work completed that provides clear details of the work carried out prior to 1 May 2026 and the work carried out from 1 May 2026
• Keep any relevant records and evidence that supports the installation date.

Overview of key PCA 2025 changes

These changes may affect regulated plumbing work in Victoria.

• Changes to Section A, including provisions relevant to building and plumbing practitioners, are outlined in the NCC 2025 practitioner education series.
• The NCC 2025 amended variations provide a detailed list of what's new, what's changed and what's been deleted.

Editorial examples

Several clauses in NCC 2025 have also been updated editorially to improve consistency in language and structure across the Code volumes. In many instances, these are minor language changes only and do not represent a technical or policy change.

• From: A cold water service must ensure access for maintenance of mechanical components and operational controls
  To: Access must be provided to components of a cold water service that require maintenance or replacement, including mechanical devices and controls.
• From: A cold water service must ensure the system, appliances and devices can be isolated for testing and maintenance
  To: A means of isolation must be provided for a cold water service and for components that require testing, maintenance, or replacement, including mechanical devices, appliances, and controls.
• From: A heated water service must avoid failure or uncontrolled discharge
  To: Any failure or uncontrolled discharge from a heated water service must be avoided.

These editorial changes are not addressed in detail on this page. Plumbing practitioners should access the latest version of NCC 2025 and familiarise themselves with all relevant amendments.

Part A4 – Referenced documents

What changed?

Alternative referenced documents listed in the register of alternative referenced documents are now recognised as NCC referenced documents and may be used as a Deemed-to-Satisfy solution.

What it means for practitioners

Referenced documents may be updated outside the NCC amendment cycle and, where listed, can be adopted as a DtS solution.

VIC A5G4 – Evidence of suitability

What changed?

No extension has been provided to the commencement of the new lead-free plumbing product requirements.

What it means for practitioners

The commencement date remains unchanged. Relevant plumbing work commencing on or after 1 May 2026 must comply.

VIC B1D3 – General requirements

What changed?

A new subclause has been added to require all above-ground pipes and fittings used to supply fire hydrant systems, including combined sprinkler and hydrant systems, to comply with the material requirements of AS 2419.1 for above-ground hydrant pipework.

What it means for practitioners

Above-ground cold water pipes and fittings feeding combined sprinkler and hydrant systems must meet the hydrant system material requirements.

B2D2 – Water heater in a heated water supply system

What changed?

A new limitation has been introduced for heated water systems to avoid imposing an additional burden on dwellings that already comply with whole-of-home energy efficiency provisions. The table for minimum Small-scale Technology Certificates has also been updated.

What it means for practitioners

The change reduces duplication where efficiency is already addressed under Volume Two. The minimum STC requirements for solar and heat pump water heaters have also been updated.

B4D3 – Fire sprinkler systems

What changed?

The provisions have been amended to prevent the use of exposed plastic pipe in combined sprinkler and hydrant systems.

What it means for practitioners

All above-ground pipes and fittings used in combined sprinkler and hydrant systems must comply with AS 2419.1 material requirements for hydrant pipework.

B5D2 – Drinking water service

What changed?

New Explanatory Information has been included to clarify the application of integral backflow protection.

What it means for practitioners

No additional individual or zone backflow protection is required where cross-connection control is provided as an integral part of a fixture, appliance or apparatus, and that protection is suitable for the hazard rating specified in the PCA and installed in accordance with AS/NZS 3500.1.

B5D3 – Non-drinking water service

What changed?

The clause has been clarified and now includes a new exemption for independent non-drinking water services used for agricultural purposes.

What it means for practitioners

B5D3 does not apply to a non-drinking water service used for agricultural purposes where the service is supplied solely by non-drinking water sources and is fully independent from any other water service.

B5D7 – Cross-connection hazards

What changed?

Cross-connection hazard provisions previously contained in Specification 41 of NCC 2022 have been relocated to Clause B5D7 and updated.

What it means for practitioners

Key hazard classification changes include:

• fire-fighting water storage tanks are now medium hazard rather than low hazard
• marinas are now high hazard properties, rather than medium hazard, for containment protection purposes

B7P1 to B7P5 and B7D2 – Rainwater storage

What changed?

These provisions have been updated to improve clarity and to introduce exemptions for sites not connected to a Network Utility Operator (NUO).

What it means for practitioners

Where a site is not provided with drinking water from a NUO, the Part 7 Performance Requirements and DtS provisions do not apply. This includes requirements relating to contamination, uncontrolled discharge, access, isolation and identification.

B7D3 – Collection of rainwater

What changed?

The clause has been clarified and includes a new exemption allowing rainwater storage to be supplemented with drinking water where required.

What it means for practitioners

Rainwater storage may be topped up with drinking water where permitted under the clause.

C1V1 – Determination of sanitary plumbing wastewater flowrates

What changed?

Table C1V1a Frequency Factors, Table C1V1b Discharge Units, and associated explanatory information have been updated.

What it means for practitioners

The inputs to the Verification Method have changed. Frequency factors and discharge unit values should be checked when using this method.

C1V2 – System design using wastewater flowrates

What changed?

The Verification Method has been updated.

What it means for practitioners

Practitioners who is using this Verification Method should review the updated method before design.

VIC C1D3 – General requirements

What changed?

The Victorian variation for Class 1 sanitary plumbing, which allowed installations to be set as close as possible to 15 degrees where 15 degrees could not be achieved, has been removed.

What it means for practitioners

All sanitary plumbing installations must now fully comply with AS/NZS 3500.2.

C2V3 – Determination of sanitary drainage wastewater flowrates

What changed?

The existing Verification Method for sanitary drainage pipe sizing has been improved.

What it means for practitioners

Frequency factors and discharge unit values have been updated and should be checked when applying the method.

C2V4 – Sanitary drainage design

What changed?

A new Verification Method has been introduced for sanitary drainage design.

What it means for practitioners

Sanitary drainage design may now be verified against C2P1 using this Verification Method.

VIC C4P1 – Requirements for low-risk on-site liquid trade waste management practices

What changed?

The Victorian addition has been amended to incorporate the requirements of the relevant Network Utility Operator.

What it means for practitioners

The interconnection of a low-risk liquid trade waste appliance and outlet vent must comply with the relevant NUO requirements.

Additional resources