• Amendments to make licensed plumber’s certification mandatory  

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) announced plans to make it compulsory for new houses to obtain a certificate from a licensed plumber, in a bid to curb significant water leakage occurring within domestic pipeline systems.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, NWSDB Chairperson Chandana Bandara said that, with support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Board is in the process of developing a scheme to ensure that new homes are fitted with professionally installed water pipeline systems. "We are expecting to make it mandatory to have a certificate from a licensed plumber confirming that the pipeline system is well established. However, we have not yet taken steps to enforce this for new houses being built at present, as we are still working on adding these provisions. Under the existing Act, we cannot implement such conditions for new constructions, we will be bringing in amendments to provide us with those powers," he said.

Bandara further explained that individuals who complete National Vocational Qualification Level Four training at technical colleges and vocational training centres can register with the Construction Industry Development Authority to obtain their licences. "We have also initiated a programme to train plumbers through the training section of the NWSDB itself," he added.

He noted that, at present, the NWSDB's responsibility extends only up to the premises - specifically, the meter of a house. However, the Board intends to introduce amendments that would allow it to monitor internal pipeline systems within houses when necessary.

"A considerable amount of water leakage occurs within these domestic systems. We have conducted inspections and observed these issues. While we cannot eliminate leakage entirely, we can reduce it to the lowest possible level," Bandara said.

The Government has been gradually mandating professionalism across various sectors, including construction and solar and cooling system operations, citing improvements in safety and productivity. The NWSDB's latest move follows its identification that, in most houses, particularly in rural areas, plumbing work is often carried out not by licensed professionals but by individuals with practical experience, leading to malfunctioning pipelines and significant water loss.