What's New in Building Control

Part G - Sanitation, hot water safety and water efficiency

Following last year’s postponement of the amendments to Part G of the Building Regulations, the new regulations and Approved Document G are now due to come into force on 6^th April 2010.

Building work will have to comply with the new standards from 6^th April 2010 unless it meets certain conditions. These ‘transitional provisions’ are quite complicated but can be broadly summarised as follows.

Work can be to the ‘old’ standards if:

• It starts before 6^th April 2010

AND it is in accordance with full plans or a building notice which were deposited

AND a commencement notice was given to Building Control, or

b.Full plans were deposited

AND were passed without conditions (or Building Control advised you that all conditions had been satisfied) before 6^th April 2010

AND work starts before 6^th April 2011, or

c.The deposit of full plans is not required (ie a Building Notice could be deposited – mainly for domestic work)

AND a contract for the work was entered into before 6^th April 2010

AND work starts before 1^st October 2010.

The main changes from the old Regulations and Approved Document G are:

• A new water efficiency standard that all new homes (including those formed by a change of use) must have a maximum potential wholesome water consumption of 125 litres per person per day.

This has to be calculated in accordance with the methodology in the document ‘The Water Efficiency Calculator for new dwellings’ (September 2009 version) and within 5 days of completion of the dwelling, a notice which specifies the  potential consumption must be given to Building Control. A Building Regulation completion certificate is unlikely to be given until this notice has been received.  (Regulations 17K and 20E, and Part G2)

• A new requirement for the prevention of scalding through the installation of protective devices that limit the temperature of water supplied to a bath to 48°C. (G3(4))

• Amendments and extended safety requirements which will apply to all hot water systems and storage vessels, not just unvented systems. Systems must resist the effects of temperature and pressure in normal use and in the event of a malfunction that can reasonably be anticipated, and the system must be adequately supported. Hot water storage vessels must incorporate precautions to prevent the water exceeding 100°C and ensure that discharge from safety devices is carried away safely. (G3)

• Amendments and requirements for the supply of wholesome water for drinking or food preparation, and wholesome or softened wholesome water for washing. There is also clarification where greywater and harvested rainwater can be used eg sanitary conveniences and washing machines (subject to risk assessment) (G1)

• A new requirement for the provision of a bathroom in buildings containing one or more rooms for residential purposes. (G5)

• A new requirement for the provision of a sink in food preparation areas. (G6)

• Requirements G1 (cold water supply) and G3(2) and (3) (hot water safety) will apply to certain ‘exempt’ buildings.

For example where a greenhouse shares a cold or hot water supply with a dwelling, or where any other small detached building or extension (exempt by virtue of classes 6 or 7 of Schedule 2) shares a cold or hot water supply with any other building which itself is not exempt.

Relevant publications can be downloaded free as follows

New Approved Document G

http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/england/professionals/buildingregs/technicalguidance/bchygienepartg/bcapproveddocuments5

Water Efficiency Calculator for New Dwellings,  September 2009 edition

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/watercalculator