Codes & Standards
Background Information on Plumbing Codes
In addition to Plumbing Standards, Plumbing and Building Codes play an important role in governing water efficient products. Codes are promulgated by code authorities and adopted by jurisdictions in order to protect the health and safety of the citizens. Whereas the national standards approved by the American National Standards Institute are voluntary consensus-based standards, the codes (which may or may not adopt the national standards by reference) are mandatory within the jurisdiction that adopts them.
Several areas are of current interest to water-efficiency practitioners. For example, research is underway to investigate hot water distribution systems within residential dwellings. The ultimate goal is to amend the building codes to require that certain innovative design and construction practices be used in new residences in order to reduce the amount of energy lost (and water lost) currently being experienced with existing construction practices. A second area of current interest is that of non-water urinals, where language and technical provisions effectively prohibit their installation in many municipalities and areas.
The process of amending plumbing codes to achieve resource efficiencies is laborious, usually contentious, and in need of support from the water stakeholders. The Alliance’s representation in the plumbing code development process will help ensure that water efficiency is considered a priority and to offset the single focus on health or safety. Examples of past debates during the codes process include amendments that would allow for non-water consuming urinals, or that would provide for changes to construction practices relating to hot water piping in residential dwellings.
Like the standards process, the codes process is complex. There once were five different plumbing code development organizations in the U.S.; mergers have thankfully reduced this to only two organizations. The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) produces the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC). The International Code Council (ICC) produces the International Plumbing Code (IPC). In general, the IPC is more prevalent in the eastern part of the US, and the UPC is more prevalent in the west. Both codes are a result of constant amendments of plumbing codes written in early part of the 1900s. Usually the authoring organizations have a 3-year development cycle to update their respective codes. When the new updated version of the code is published, IAPMO and ICC encourage all of the jurisdictions to adopt the newest version of the code.
The plumbing codes themselves have no legal status until adopted by jurisdictions such as cities, counties and states. Where adopted, the codes become as local ordinances and laws. All jurisdictions can amend the code before and after adoption, and some do this to better suit local conditions. For example: a city in a Montana would probably amend the code to increase measures to protect pipes in buildings from freezing in harsh winters, while a city in Florida might require measures to resist the corrosive conditions of brackish water prevalent in the area. Except for these special conditions, jurisdictions usually adopt the code of choice (UPC or IPC) as it is written. Each of the codes contains more than 400 pages of complex requirements; unfortunately, few jurisdictions have the ability to review and analyze every single provision before adopting the code as law.
The basis of the codes dates back to the early 1900s when water was plentiful in high population areas. The lack of proper sanitation was of greater concern, as disease was rampant in large cities. Water was needed to move the waste out of the cities –- and water was considered a cheap and plentiful resource. While the codes have been updated through the years to reflect federal laws (such as the National Energy Policy Act), the codes have never implemented measures solely to ensure water efficiency. In the past, sanitation and safety was the primary directive of the IAPMO and ICC, not water efficiency.