Plumbing code likely to go ‘green’
Efforts to make it easier to use reclaimed and captured water in new construction got a new tool Feb. 1 when the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) formally released its Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement.
IAPMO’s new supplement is designed to be adopted as a supplement to any mechanical and plumbing code. It can also be included in whole or in part as mandatory code, including in the Uniform Plumbing and Mechanical code, according to Dave Viola, director of special services for Ontario-based IAPMO.
The committee that created the supplement used green building certifications such as U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and Green Globe’s commercial certification system as its baseline, according to Viola. “Those documents tell you that you get this many points for doing things a certain way, but they don’t tell you how to do it safely,” he says. Compared to today’s plumbing code, this supplement should decrease indoor potable water usage by 20 percent to 30 percent.
One of the main thrusts of the supplement is the use of rainwater, grey water and reclaimed water in buildings. Most codes have no guidance for how to implement these technologies. Jurisdictions that want to try or require them now have a method for doing so.
The supplement’s chapter on water efficiency was adopted as mandatory by the city of Los Angeles even before it was released, according to Viola. IAPMO is starting to work on the 2012 update of the Uniform Plumbing and Mechanical Code. Pieces of this supplement—which was designed to fill holes in California’s Green Building Codes—that are likely to be included in some form will address grey water and rainwater use in buildings, he says.Charles Redell
Sustainable Industries
ONTARIO, Calif., Feb. 1 / PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Sustainable Building Industry today has a powerful and revolutionary new tool at its disposal with the formal release of IAPMO’s Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement, the most comprehensive document ever created to standardize sustainable residential and commercial plumbing and mechanical systems.
“The building codes are perhaps the biggest hindrance to the adoption of green buildings,” said Dave Viola, IAPMO director of Special Services and staff liaison to the Green Technical Committee (GTC) that developed the document. “There’s so little information about how to do green systems properly and safely within existing building codes, so we’ve rolled out a document that shows exactly how it’s done.”
The Green Supplement serves as a complement to any adopted plumbing and mechanical code, smoothly bridging the previously troublesome gap between existing codes and established green building programs. Where code language and green building concepts lack cohesion, the Green Supplement creates harmony by addressing such areas as:
– Use of alternate water sources (gray water, rainwater harvesting)
– Proper use of high-efficiency plumbing products
– Conservation of hot water
– Energy conservation in HVAC systems
– Training/education in green plumbing systems
Established in January 2008, the 25-member GTC is comprised of a who’s who of industry leaders in all facets of the sustainable plumbing and mechanical fields, along with 60 other plumbers, contractors, engineers, inspectors and energy/water conservation experts enlisted for task groups.
“Many of the provisions in the Green Supplement are very advanced,” said Amir Tabakh, director of Environmental Engineering, Environmental Affairs Division of the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, and a member of the GTC. “These standards are 5-7 years ahead of the local codes. The Green Supplement gives a local jurisdiction the opportunity to adopt a superior product, a superior standard without waiting 5-7 years.”
Though provisions dealing with sustainable plumbing are prominent, Tabakh contends the mechanical aspects should not be overlooked. “According to the California Energy Commission, 30 percent of the state’s energy consumption within commercial buildings is mechanical equipment,” he said. “If that 30 percent is positively impacted, it means many more electrical systems will become highly efficient. So, this document ultimately touches national standards for electrical efficiency.”
More information: IAPMO Green