San Antonio — During a formal signing ceremony at their co-located 19th Annual Meeting and 94th annual Education and Business Conference in San Antonio, Texas, the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) officially joined the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO®). ARCSA will be renamed “ARCSA International,” allowing the organization to maintain its Read more
code compliance
San Antonio — During a formal signing ceremony at their co-located 19th Annual Meeting and 94th annual Education and Business Conference in San Antonio, Texas, the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) officially joined the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO®). ARCSA will be renamed “ARCSA International,” allowing the organization to maintain its identity while becoming a discrete business unit of The IAPMO Group.
In June, ARCSA’s Board of Directors and membership voted in favor of joining The IAPMO Group, with the co-located annual events providing an ideal backdrop for the finalization.
Formed by the merger of two Texas-based professional rainwater catchment associations—the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association and the Texas Rainwater Catchment Systems Association—with the mission to “provide resources and information on rainwater and stormwater collection to promote the advancement of rainwater conservation and to work with government at all levels in promoting rainwater and stormwater management,” ARCSA in 2016 was reorganized as a 501(c6) organization and the original ARCSA became the ARCSA Foundation, a 501(c3) organization.
“We believe IAPMO’s sharp focus on water conservation and water security will enable ARCSA to advance the cause of rainwater harvesting on the national and international stages more effectively,” said ARCSA President Roman Feher. “We came here a lone wolf and now we’re part of the wolfpack.”
Founded in Los Angeles in 1926, the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) has grown to be recognized the world over for its Uniform Codes. Through its various business units, The IAPMO Group participates worldwide in product testing and certification, codes and standards development, management systems certification, and education, training and personnel certification.
“IAPMO and ARCSA have long worked toward common objectives from unique positions in the water conservation industry,” said IAPMO CEO Dave Viola. “Consolidating our work makes both organizations far more capable stewards of this vital natural resource and the means to capture and utilize it safely.”
In 2012, IAPMO and ARCSA signed a memorandum of understanding to “enhance the wellbeing of people everywhere through the provision of safe, efficient, and affordable rainwater harvesting and plumbing systems and equipment.” The product of this cooperation, ASSE/ARCSA/IAPMO/ANSI Series 21000 was first published as an American National Standard in 2017 to address the increasing number of residential, commercial, and industrial rainwater and stormwater systems being installed nationwide. Updated in 2022, Series 21000 establishes best practices and uniform minimum requirements for qualified designers, installers, and inspectors of viable alternative water systems utilizing captured rainwater or stormwater.
Ontario, Calif. — Using the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials’ (IAPMO) Water Demand Calculator™ as an alternative to sizing methods in traditional plumbing codes can result in energy, carbon and water savings with no change to how residents use plumbing fixtures in their homes every day, an analysis by Arup, a global collective Read more
Ontario, Calif. — Using the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials’ (IAPMO) Water Demand Calculator™ as an alternative to sizing methods in traditional plumbing codes can result in energy, carbon and water savings with no change to how residents use plumbing fixtures in their homes every day, an analysis by Arup, a global collective of designers, consultants and experts dedicated to sustainable development, has found.
IAPMO commissioned Arup to analyze and better understand the Water Demand Calculator’s potential for sustainability savings. Arup compared the Water Demand Calculator with the Hunter’s Curve method found standard in both the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC®) and the International Plumbing Code (IPC®) for sizing domestic hot water systems in four residential-use cases. The analysis included a single-family home, and six-unit, 45-unit and high-rise multifamily residences.
Arup’s study found that when the Water Demand Calculator is used for domestic water design for residential buildings instead of the Hunter’s Curve sizing methods, there are resulting operational energy and embodied carbon savings in all four of the use cases, as well as water savings in the non-circulating units. Water savings were demonstrated through minimized time to tap using the Water Demand Calculator sizing and range from 450 gallons to 71,000 gallons annually depending on the building size.
A single-family unit prototype showed annual water savings of 450 gallons, while high-rise residential buildings show savings in operational carbon between 73 and 84% for booster pumps and embodied carbon savings ranging from 20% to 41%. Using the Water Demand Calculator instead of the Hunter’s Curve method to size domestic water systems in high-rise residential buildings shows savings of operational carbon ranging from 2,000 to nearly 24,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per high-rise residential building, depending on grid emissions at the project site. Additionally, a reduction in pipe sizing allows for reduced heat loss through pipes.
”The Water Demand Calculator is a tool for its age,” IAPMO Vice President of Technical Services and Research Christoph Lohr, P.E., said. “With concerns of energy reduction and water savings being top of mind for many regions in the United States and the world, having the latest methodology to meet goals is vital. We greatly appreciate Arup providing IAPMO with a third-party evaluation of the potential for the Water Demand Calculator to help meet sustainability goals.”
The Water Demand Calculator is the first significant update for water pipe sizing in buildings since Hunter’s Curve was developed more than 80 years ago. The Water Demand Calculator predicts peak water demand for single- and multifamily dwellings and removes the need for assigning fixture units to plumbing fixtures and corresponding to Hunter’s probability curve. Instead, it directly calculates peak demand using algorithms based on the building size.
Contained within Appendix M of the 2021 and 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC®) and free to download, version 2.1 of the Water Demand Calculator addresses water quality issues attributed to lower flows in oversized premise plumbing while simultaneously using less water and energy, representing the most impactful innovation in pipe sizing in nearly a century. It is the result of a multiyear effort to develop a new statistically based pipe sizing method stemming from a need to address profound water safety and wasted water and energy concerns resulting from oversized water supply pipes in homes and buildings.
The entire Arup report may be viewed at https://iapmo.org/media/31469/iapmo_energy_savings_arup_report.pdf.
St. Paul, Minn. — The state of Minnesota has formally adopted the 2018 edition of IAPMO’s Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC®), with state-specific amendments, to form the 2020 Minnesota Plumbing Code. It is available for purchase from the IAPMO Online Store at https://iapmomembership.org/store/2020-minnesota-plumbing-code/1126/. As Chapter 4714 of the Minnesota State Building Code, it will be enforced as Read more
St. Paul, Minn. — The state of Minnesota has formally adopted the 2018 edition of IAPMO’s Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC®), with state-specific amendments, to form the 2020 Minnesota Plumbing Code. It is available for purchase from the IAPMO Online Store at https://iapmomembership.org/store/2020-minnesota-plumbing-code/1126/. As Chapter 4714 of the Minnesota State Building Code, it will be enforced as law effective Dec. 17.
Some of the key updates to the Minnesota Plumbing Code include:
- New sound transmission provisions for plumbing piping systems. New provisions for trenching excavation and backfill, rehabilitation of piping systems, and Schedule 40 PVC and ABS DWV and storm pipe expansion table (Chapter 3)
- New product standards for plumbing fixtures such as wall hung fixtures, waste fittings, lavatories, showers, bathtubs and whirlpool bathtubs, flushometer valves, sinks and eyewash stations; and signage for single-use toilet facilities (Chapter 4)
- New backflow protection provisions for chemical dispensers, new material provisions for pipes, tubes, fittings and joint methods for water supply and distribution, piping insulation, and new pressure testing for the hot- and cold-water supply system (Chapter 6)
- New material requirements for drain, waste, vent pipe and fittings (Chapter 7)
- New provisions for condensate waste and control (Chapter 8)
- Circuit venting (Chapter 9)
- Methods of testing storm drainage systems (Chapter 11)
- Updated ASSE Series 5000 testing procedures
- Appendix I — Installation standard for PEX tubing systems for hot- and cold-water distribution
- New Useful Tables
Also new to the UPC in 2018 is Appendix M, Water Demand Calculator (https://www.iapmo.org/water-demand-calculator/), representing the first major update to plumbing sizing requirements since the 1940s and giving plumbing professionals the opportunity to see firsthand how IAPMO is committed to developing new provisions toward improving water quality and safety, reducing construction costs, and saving consumers energy, water and money. The Water Demand Calculator predicts peak water demand for single- and multi-family dwellings when water efficient fixtures are installed. An independent study found notable cost savings when applied to residential structures.
The UPC was introduced in Los Angeles in 1928 and formally published as the Uniform Plumbing Code in 1945. It is developed using IAPMO’s consensus development procedures accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This process brings together volunteers representing a variety of viewpoints and interests to achieve consensus on construction practices. Developed and subsequently republished at the conclusion of each three-year code cycle, the Uniform Codes are designed to provide consumers with safely functioning systems while, at the same time, allowing latitude for innovation and new technologies.
Updated International Plumbing Code and International Mechanical Code enhance safety, and save time and resources Washington, D.C. – The International Code Council announced the release of its 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) and International Mechanical Code (IMC). Building codes play a significant role in maintaining safe and healthy communities – permitting more resilient, sustainable and livable Read more
Updated International Plumbing Code and International Mechanical Code enhance safety, and save time and resources
Washington, D.C. – The International Code Council announced the release of its 2021 International Plumbing Code (IPC) and International Mechanical Code (IMC). Building codes play a significant role in maintaining safe and healthy communities – permitting more resilient, sustainable and livable structures for generations to come.
The IPC and IMC are revised on a three-year cycle through the Code Council’s highly respected consensus code development process that draws upon the expertise of hundreds of plumbing, mechanical, building and safety experts from across North America. With updates every three years, building codes allow for ongoing consideration of new technologies and scientific understandings.
“It’s critical for our codes to adapt to new building practices, technologies and societal needs. Our 2021 IPC and IMC take these needs into consideration and aim to promote safety above all else,” said Code Council Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO. “Construction is ever-evolving, and how we prepare trades professionals matters more now than ever.”
The IPC is a pragmatic, apolitical, and technology-based look at the code that gives me a much bigger toolbox to choose from,” says All Area Plumbing senior project executive Damon Premer, a featured guest on the ICC Pulse Podcast. “Instead of being restricted to one way of doing things, with the IPC I have options and I can customize to the best quality for that project. The IPC gives me code proven ways to accomplish things that other codes lack.”
International Plumbing Code
The IPC establishes safety standards for health, safety, property protection and public welfare by prescriptive and performance provisions for the design, construction, installation, quality of materials, location, operation and maintenance or use of plumbing equipment and systems. 2021 additions/updates include:
- Multiple-user toilet facilities to serve all genders are now permitted.
- Two new methods for relining/rehabilitation of existing sewers have been added.
- Accommodations for mounted rooftop solar panels over vent terminals have been added.
- CSA B805/ICC 805 Rainwater Harvesting Systems is now allowed as an alternative design method.
In 2019, the Code Council commissioned a comprehensive independent analysis of the costs and savings associated with building under the IPC. The study found that over a 12-year period, counties that used the IPC saved $38 billion in construction costs and emitted one million fewer tons of carbon dioxide. The savings that resulted from use of the IPC contributed to national efforts to improve housing affordability.
International Mechanical Code
The IMC establishes minimum requirements for mechanical systems using prescriptive and performance-related provisions. It is founded on broad-based principles that make possible the use of new materials and new mechanical designs. 2021 additions/updates include:
- Clothes dryer exhaust terminals are now required to be at least three (3) feet from any opening into a building.
- Polyurethane spray-applied foam on the exterior of ducts in attics and crawl spaces is now required to meet specific smoke and flame index limits.
- Fire and smoke dampers must now be provided with approved access for inspection and maintenance.
- Refrigerant tables now include new refrigerants.
The 2021 IPC and IMC are currently available for pre-order and will be widely available in print and digitally in March. Related provisions of the ICC A117.1-2017 Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities will be included as a resource in the 2021 IPC. To pre-order the 2021 IPC and IMC, visit: