What causes plumbing asset compliance to slip?
Asset registers stop reflecting the site
Refurbishments, tenancy changes and equipment replacements can leave asset lists out of date. If a new asset is missing from the register, it may also be missing from the testing schedule. A useful register identifies each asset, its location, make and model where available, service requirements, latest results and next due dates. Removed assets should be recorded so they do not keep appearing on work orders.
Testing dates move without clear follow-up
Live sites need maintenance to fit around occupants, operations and shutdown windows. Problems arise when a deferred visit has no confirmed replacement date or responsible person.
Record the reason for postponement, assess the implications with the service provider and confirm the next action. An access problem should remain visible until the required work is completed.
Defects are reported but never closed
A completed inspection does not mean every asset passed. Reports can identify failed tests, required repairs or further investigation. Track the defect separately from the inspection, with an owner, priority and agreed action. Retain repair evidence and any required retest results before closing it. Where an asset presents an immediate safety concern, seek prompt professional advice on appropriate controls.
Site use changes but the maintenance plan does not
New tenants, equipment or processes can change a site's plumbing risks.
For example, Sydney Water's backflow guidance requires a site's hazard rating to be reassessed when site activities change. An existing device and maintenance plan should therefore be reviewed against the new use.
Handover records are incomplete
Changes in facility managers or service providers can separate an asset from its history. The incoming team may receive a schedule without the latest test reports, open defects or authority records.
A structured handover should include the asset register, maintenance schedule, reports, outstanding actions and the people responsible for follow-up.
Which plumbing assets should facility managers review?
Start with assets that protect water quality and control water temperature, including testable backflow prevention devices and TMVs. Then review relevant hot and warm water systems, pumps, tanks, trade waste equipment and other assets covered by the site's maintenance requirements.
Separate statutory obligations from manufacturer servicing recommendations and operational maintenance. They may overlap, but they are not interchangeable.
JetBlack's statutory testing services include backflow and TMV testing. Its asset management services also cover maintenance activities such as hot and warm water servicing, pump servicing and drainage maintenance.
How can you check for gaps in your plumbing compliance records?
Use this checklist when reviewing a site or taking over a new facility:
- Check the register against the site. Confirm asset locations and identify additions, replacements or removals.
- Review due dates and requirements. Identify overdue or unknown dates and confirm the applicable testing and servicing requirements.
- Match reports to individual assets. Look for clear asset identification, test dates, results and required follow-up.
- Review failed tests and open defects. Confirm who owns each action and whether repair and retest evidence is available.
- Check required submissions. Where results must be lodged with an authority, confirm submission rather than assuming a completed visit covers it.
- Review site changes. Flag refurbishments, new tenants, altered processes or modified water systems for assessment.
- Confirm access and handover arrangements. Make sure the next visit can proceed and another team member can find the records.
- Treat missing information as something to investigate. An absent report does not establish that an asset failed, but it leaves its status unverified.
