IAPMO Solicits Public Comments Toward Development of 2017 Water Efficiency and Sanitation Standard

The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO®) is calling for public comments on formal proposals toward the development of the 2017 Water Efficiency and Sanitation Standard (WE Stand).  The standard, which will use as its basis the water and sanitation provisions within IAPMO’s 2015 Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement (GPMCS), draws upon IAPMO’s core competency and industry expertise in plumbing systems for the purpose of providing comprehensive requirements to optimize water use practices attributed to the built environment while maintaining protection of the public health, safety and welfare.  This standard is about water efficiency in buildings, and pretty far removed from typical state regulation of water systems.  However, water efficiency does have some indirect impact on Legionella and other pathogens in building water systems.  Lower consumption can mean higher water age and more chance for microbial growth or regrowth.  States with an interest in these issues may want to look more closely at proposals for the standard.
IAPMO is employing a voluntary consensus development process accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for the development of WE Stand, enabling anyone to have a voice in the development of the standard.   WE Stand will be designated as an American National Standard immediately upon finalization.
The comment form, with instructions and background on IAPMO’s ANSI-accredited consensus process, as well as the WE Stand draft document, Report on Proposals, Monograph, and a development timeline, can be found at: http://www.iapmo.org/WEStand/Pages/DocumentInformation.aspx.  The deadline for comments is 5 p.m. PDT Nov. 28.