Nationwide ‘Wash Station Challenge’ to Provide New Hand-Washing Facilities to Navajo Nation Communities |
The International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation (IWSH) is excited to launch the Wash Station Challenge 2021, a new collaboration with the DigDeep Navajo Water Project, the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing, Pipefitting and Sprinkler Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA), and Ferguson.
The Wash Station Challenge was launched online Tuesday, June 1, and will run through the remainder of the month. Assembly projects will be hosted at 10 participating UA locals nationwide, where a series of mobile wash station facilities will be built that have been designed to provide a month’s worth of non-potable water for daily hand-washing and general hygiene for a family of six. Once completed, the wash stations will be shipped to designated DigDeep staging points on the Navajo Nation. DigDeep teams will then deliver, install and maintain the wash stations at sites that will initially include community health service facilities, chapter houses, and farms.
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IAPMO Praises Texas Legislature for Reauthorizing Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) |
IAPMO applauds the Texas Legislature for reauthorizing the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE), a move that ensures plumbers will continue to have a key role in the decision-making process for plumbing-related issues in the nation’s second most-populous state.
The TSBPE oversees the licensing of plumbers in the state of Texas, ensuring the public is aware of the crucial role plumbing plays in protecting the public’s health and safety through community outreach and education, and investigating consumer complaints and taking enforcement and disciplinary action against persons who have violated the Plumbing License Law.
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Austin, Texas, Adopts 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) and 2021 Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC)
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The Austin City Council, representing the capital of the nation’s second most populous state, has voted unanimously to approve the recommendation of the city’s Mechanical and Plumbing Board to adopt the 2021 editions of the Uniform Plumbing Code® (UPC) and Uniform Mechanical Code® (UMC).
The adoptions represent an update from the 2015 editions of these codes and will go into effect on Sept. 1. The city of Austin has utilized the Uniform Codes consistently since the 1970s.
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Bellevue, Nebraska, Adopts 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code® (UPC) and 2021 Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa, and Hot Tub Code® (USPSHTC)
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Nebraska’s third most populous city, Bellevue, maintained the highest level of health and safety standards available for plumbing and swimming pools, spas and hot tub systems by formally adopting the 2021 editions of the Uniform Plumbing Code® (UPC) and Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa, and Hot Tub Code® (USPSHTC), updating from the 2012 editions. Bellevue recognizes that IAPMO’s codes represent the gold standard as the only plumbing and swimming pool, spa, and hot tub codes designated as American National Standards.
The UPC and USPSHTC represent a carefully constructed balance between prescriptive and performance requirements, all while maintaining effective, seamless integration with all model building codes, no matter the developer.
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Iowa Updates Plumbing Code to 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code
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The Iowa Administrative Rules Committee has published ARC 5626C, officially updating Iowa’s plumbing code to the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) effective June 23.
In June 2020, the Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board Code Review Sub Committee solicited code change proposals from all interested parties for the adoption of the 2021 UPC. The Code Review Sub Committee considered each proposal and significant changes from the 2018 UPC for incorporation into Chapter 25 “Iowa State Plumbing Code”. One key change is the addition of clarifying language that the UPC is the only plumbing code applicable in all Iowa jurisdictions for all building occupancies, and the adoption of other plumbing codes is prohibited.
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Nebraska Updates Default Plumbing Code to 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code
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Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts has approved legislation that officially updates the state’s default plumbing code to the 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC).
The legislation, LB 131, includes the plumbing code bill (formerly LB 218), along with a series of other bills heard by the Urban Affairs Committee. The Nebraska State Legislature passed LB 131 by a 40-7 vote.
In February 2021 the Urban Affairs Committee held a hearing to discuss the need for the state to update its default plumbing code from the 2009 UPC, and unanimously advanced LB 218 — which was later merged into LB 131 — to update the plumbing code to the 2018 UPC. The legislation continued the state’s longstanding decision that a default plumbing code will only go into effect if a local jurisdiction does not already have its owned adopted plumbing code.
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IAPMO, FGI Sign MOU Focusing on Health, Residential Care Facilities Standards |
IAPMO and the Facility Guidelines Institute (FGI) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in which they agreed to develop and maintain industry standards that include a focus on water safety in health and residential care facilities. The organizations will collaborate to advance each other’s documents and, when mutually beneficial, share in educational opportunities, create joint documents, and advocate for each organization.
“I have designed numerous health care facilities in jurisdictions that have adopted FGI guidelines. FGI is a leading voice in improving health care design and construction practices, which include plumbing and mechanical requirements, among many others,” IAPMO Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Christoph Lohr said. “IAPMO is excited to work more closely with FGI to better align the documents from each organization with an eye toward public health, safety and sustainability.”
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IAPMO Seeks Members for Technical Committee for Construction Practices for Potable Water Guideline |
IAPMO is seeking volunteers to participate on the new Technical Committee for the Construction Practices for Potable Water Guideline. IAPMO is looking for experts who fall under one of seven different types of interest categories: manufacturer, user, installer/maintainer, research/standards/testing laboratory, enforcing authority, consumer, or general interest.
Systematic water management during construction of new buildings (including significant additions to the envelope of an existing building) can reduce the risk that the building water system begins its service life contaminated with pathogenic organisms such as Legionella pneumophila (the etiological agent responsible for most cases of Legionnaires’ disease) and can reduce the risk of infections of contractors and others at or near the site during the construction process. This standard will outline a process for developing guidance for contractors and subcontractors installing and managing building water systems during construction.
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IAPMO Seeks Technical Subcommittee Members for Development of National Standard IAPMO Z1059 and IAPMO Z1119 |
IAPMO Z1059
IAPMO is seeking volunteers, with technical background in plumbing and mechanical systems and specific knowledge of wastewater diverter valves and diversion systems — such as jurisdictional authorities, testing lab and educational facility representatives, as well as manufacturing experts and consumers — to participate on the IAPMO Z1059 Technical Subcommittee (TSC). The scope of IAPMO Z1059 covers wastewater diverter valves and diversion systems and specifies requirements for materials, physical characteristics, performance testing, and markings. Wastewater diverter valves covered by this standard can be used in alternate water source systems for indoor and outdoor non-potable uses. This standard does not cover grey water diversion valves, which are addressed in ASME A112.18.2/CSA B125.2.
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IAPMO Z1119
IAPMO is seeking volunteers, with technical background in plumbing and mechanical systems and specific knowledge of water powered sump pumps — such as jurisdictional authorities, testing lab and educational facility representatives, as well as consumers and manufacturing experts and consumers — to participate on the IAPMO Z1119 Technical Subcommittee (TSC). The scope of IAPMO Z1119 covers water-powered sump pumps intended to provide emergency or backup groundwater or storm water removal from buildings in the event of power failure and specifies requirements for materials, physical characteristics, performance testing, and markings. Water-powered sump pumps covered by this standard are not intended for the removal of sanitary sewer water (sewage).
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Ferguson Makes Crucial Donations to Support Wash Station Challenge |
IWSH is pleased to announce that Ferguson, the largest U.S. distributor of plumbing supplies, is generously donating water tanks, frost-free faucets and stainless steel basins to be used in community hand-washing stations being deployed on the Navajo Nation.
The Wash Station Challenge 2021, which launched June 1, is a collaboration with the DigDeep Navajo Water Project, the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing, Pipefitting and Sprinkler Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA), and Ferguson.
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IAPMO Seeks Canadian Input on Development of IAPMO Z1001 as Canadian National Standard |
IAPMO is seeking Canadian input in the development of IAPMO Z1001, Prefabricated Gravity Grease Interceptors, as a National Standard of Canada. Canadian regulators, consumers, and other professionals with technical background in plumbing and mechanical systems, such as jurisdictional authorities, laboratory, and educational facility representatives, are requested to provide comments by no later than July 26.
This standard covers prefabricated gravity grease interceptors made of concrete, fiber‐reinforced polyester (FRP), thermoplastic, or steel, and specifies requirements for design, materials, performance, testing and markings.
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IAPMO R&T Lab, IAPMO Institute of Building Technology and Standards Institute of Israel Sign Mutual Recognition Agreement |
IAPMO R&T Lab and the IAPMO Institute of Building Technology (IBT), long-trusted names in independent testing, research and technical services for the plumbing, mechanical, electro-plumbing and construction products industries, have signed a mutual recognition agreement with the Standards Institute of Israel, the state-owned corporation responsible for setting standards for products and services provided in Israel.
The agreement enables IAPMO R&T Lab, IBT and SII to cooperate on testing services and the issuance of Certificates, Permits to Release from customs and/or Marks of Conformity to product manufacturers for products governed by the following standards:
NSF/ANSI Standard 61-Drinking Water System Components – Health Effects
NSF/ANSI Standard 372-Drinking Water System Component – Lead Content
NSF/ANSI Standard 42-Drinking Water Treatment Units – Aesthetic Effects
NSF/ANSI Standard 53-Drinking Water Treatment Units – Health Effects
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Amalgamation of Aquadiagnostics with IAPMO India Complete |
The IAPMO Group is pleased to announce the amalgamation of Aquadiagnostics Water Research and Technology Center Limited (AWRTCL) with IAPMO Plumbing Codes and Standards India Private Limited.
The IAPMO Group acquired AWRTCL, an independently accredited testing laboratory in Bengaluru, India, in June 2018. Since then, AWRTCL has become a part of The IAPMO Group, specifically associated with IAPMO India. The addition of AWRTCL has allowed IAPMO India to provide services to key clients that manufacture water filtration products and produce packaged drinking water, while also verifying potable water supply within India. As a part of IAPMO India, AWRTCL also expanded its plumbing testing capabilities over the past two years, and many manufacturers’ products are tested and certified by IAPMO India.
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Registration Now Open for 13th WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition |
Marking a return to a live, in-person event, the WaterSmart Innovations (WSI) Conference and Exposition today opened “early bird” full-conference registration with a special discount in effect through June 30.
Registrants can take advantage of the special $335 fee at WaterSmartInnovations.com by entering the authorization code gettheworm. Beginning July 1, the full-conference registration fee will be increased to $395. WSI is scheduled for Oct. 6-7 at the South Point Hotel and Conference Center in Las Vegas.
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Total Construction Falls in May as Housing Stumbles |
Total construction starts dropped 1% in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $902.8 billion, according to Dodge Data & Analytics. The brunt of the decline was borne by residential starts, while nonresidential and nonbuilding starts continued their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The weight of higher material prices and a lack of skilled labor are having a direct and notable influence on residential construction activity,” said Richard Branch, Chief Economist for Dodge Data & Analytics. “These negative factors are expected to continue to impact the sector over the remainder of the year and will result in a less positive influence from housing on overall levels of construction activity. While feeling similar effects, the nonresidential sector continues its modest recovery off the lows of last summer. There are enough projects in the planning pipeline to suggest this trend should continue into next year, but higher material prices will result in longer lead times to groundbreaking and more temperate improvements in nonresidential starts.”
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ASHRAE Releases Standard 62.1 User’s Manual |
The publication was created to be used alongside ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 62.1-2019 and explains how to apply the criteria set out by the standard, by providing examples, sample calculations, and best practices for professionals concerned with ventilation and indoor air quality in nonresidential buildings.
“The user’s manual assists in the design, installation, and operation of buildings in accordance with Standard 62.1-2019,” said Wayne Thomann, chair of Standard 62.1 Project Monitoring Subcommittee. “It is important to remember that Standard 62.1 is written to be code enforceable, and therefore contains only mandatory language, while the user’s manual paraphrases and explains the requirements, making it a valuable resource for both the architects and engineers designing the building and those responsible for constructing, operating, and maintaining the building. The user’s manual facilitates compliance with the performance requirements defined in the standard.”
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2021 ASPE Tech Symposium
September 22-26, 2021
San Diego, CA
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WaterSmart Innovations 2021
October 6-5, 2021
Las Vegas, NV
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Upcoming Training | Earn your Continuing Education with IAPMO training. |
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IAPMO is an approved provider for Continuing Education by USGBC, IACET, AIA and many local organizations and jurisdictions. Contact the IAPMO Training staff to register at 1-877-427-6601, or go to our website https://iapmolearn.org/ to register online. New training dates are added periodically!
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