PERTH, 17 August – BGC, a leading Western Australian builder, acknowledges the recent preliminary findings announced by Building and Energy, the State’s building and plumbing regulator, regarding water leaks in homes caused by Pro-fit polybutylene pipes manufactured by Iplex Australia.
Building and Energy’s thorough investigation, which encompassed inspections at more than 50 properties, has yielded valuable insights into the cause of pipe failures. The preliminary results indicated that installation work practices and workmanship were not contributing factors to these incidents. Instead, the focus has shifted to the failure of the product itself.
“Having attended to more than 1,600 bursts, across nearly 1,000 homes, we understand the challenges and frustrations that homeowners have experienced due to these water pipe failures,” BGC CEO Daniel Cooper said.
“We appreciate the efforts of Building and Energy in conducting an extensive investigation to uncover the root cause of these issues. Their findings align with our own continuing investigation, which indicates the pipe failures are a result of manufacturing issues.
“Having understood the root cause, we believe this is an Australia-wide issue and that WA is simply the tip of the iceberg.”
BGC respects the regulatory authority and expertise of Building and Energy in regard to this matter. BGC understands that Building and Energy’s findings have now been referred to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the national body responsible for product safety and product recall regulation.
As the plumbing regulator has determined that installation practices were not at fault, it is now appropriate for the ACCC to assess and manage any potential product-related concerns.
“While BGC is not responsible for the manufacturing of Pro-fit polybutylene pipes, we remain committed to supporting our customers through burst repairs and preventative works,” Mr Cooper said.
“We encourage homeowners who have concerns about Pro-fit pipes and who are seeking full replacement of the pipework in their home to make a warranty claim with Iplex under their 25-year product guarantee, as we await further updates from the regulatory authorities.”
Building and Energy has established an online register to facilitate communication for affected consumers. BGC supports this initiative and encourages homeowners who have experienced burst pipes to utilise the online register to lodge their details. BGC will continue to cooperate with Building and Energy and keep affected homeowners informed about the progress of the ACCC’s next steps.
For further information, homeowners are encouraged to visit the Building and Energy website, and for warranty claims contact [email protected].