What in the World is Going on with Plumbing Codes?

By Allen Inlow,

Senior Director of Product and Business Development

International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO)

What is going on with plumbing codes? When Plumbing Engineer asked me that question, I began to think about everything that is transpiring all around the world.  When I considered the "how and why" of it, what seemed like a simple question resulted in a fairly complicated answer. So, here are one man's thoughts (mine), provided simply to provoke your thoughts.

The simple answer: Establishing plumbing codes is an evolutionary process, taking different forms from country to country, and these codes may turn out very differently in form and format than they would have just a few years ago. To explain that, we need to understand a little about the history of plumbing codes in the United States and to go back about 60 years to the plumbing code jointly researched by the plumbing industry and the federal government, commonly known as the Hoover Code.

At the time that President Herbert Hoover sanctioned the endeavor, there were a plethora of municipal and regional plumbing codes all over the country. Exactly whose provisions were right, and why, were hotly debated topics at most meetings of the plumbing industry. Since plumbing was directly related to health issues - although there were some consumer protection issues as well - a public-private effort was created to find the science in the solution. The effort was highly successful and the federal government published the results as a plumbing code

Two major problems arose, however:  (1) The federal government thought that, with the publishing of the code, its work was finished - but an industry as dynamic as the plumbing industry wanted the document periodically updated and (2) Very few communities actually adopted the federal code, most opting to include provisions from it in their self-authored codes.

When those who felt that the code provisions treated their product, material or installation unfairly objected politically at home, the jurisdiction would often call upon the federal government to decide the matter. Politically speaking, this was not a great position for the government to be in, so the government decided to stop publishing the plumbing code and to turn the provisions over to the plumbing industry, with the suggestion that local health departments oversee local plumbing codes. Today's model code organizations basically evolved from those origins. 

Now, leap forward about 50 years. Cable TV, fax machines, the Internet and cell phones have "shrunk the world." Everyone who has the resources available has the means to find information from anywhere in the world at any time: This has a dramatic effect on the plumbing industry.

The world is trying to come together. A few short years ago, all the talk was about the International Standards Organization (ISO) and what it would do with construction codes in general and plumbing codes in particular. Every country immediately became concerned with trade barriers or feared being at a competitive disadvantage - in some cases these concerns were well founded. The process of creating international codes continues in many areas, but it is very slow. I do not believe that an ISO Plumbing Code of Practice will be created soon, or that, if such a code is created, it will be responsive to need or that it will be maintained in a timely manner; it simply relies upon too many governments having the political will to cooperate. The U.S. government could not find consensus with the Hoover Code, and the ISO system is vastly more complex

A more pragmatic approach is needed, and the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United Nations is on the right track. WHO recognizes the contributions that the plumbing industry and good codes of practice have on the health of people everywhere, so it approached the World Plumbing Council about producing the publication "Health Aspects of Plumbing" for developing nations without any code of practice. IAPMO is proud to have participated in the development of the publication, along with many other organizations, and it is being distributed all over the world at this time. A copy can be obtained from IAPMO.

This offers great assistance for developing nations, but what about the rest of the world?

The rest of the world is growing impatient. The age of the global economy is upon us, and word about the benefits of public-private sector working arrangements is rapidly spreading. The laws of physics, fluid mechanics and hydraulics do not change from country to country or hemisphere to hemisphere. Every country wants a safe, sanitary drinking water system and proper sanitation for its people. Now, water conservation and the "green" provisions are taking on additional importance as well. If a country's economy relies upon tourism, that is an added impetus to prioritize implementing a recognized and acceptable code of practice

Of course, it does not stop there. Many countries have plumbing manufacturers that have enjoyed success competing in the domestic market and that are suddenly seeing competition from all parts of the globe, so international product conformity assessment becomes a big issue. Some of those places that did not see the need to implement a domestic program in the past became dumping grounds for foreign manufacturers whose products did not comply with any standard. Often the material was not as advertised, and the technical specifications did not even match materials from the same company. I am even aware of some plumbing engineering firms that include a statement in their specifications that all pipes must come from the same manufacturer and the same millrun.

Are they doing something about it? Yes, they are! As I write this, I am on my way to India to participate in a rollout introduction of the new, jointly produced Uniform Plumbing Code - India. Training materials will accompany the code, and a nationwide multi-faceted educational and training program will be introduced. The code has the full support and commitment of the Indian Plumbing Association and Indian Institute of Plumbing. It will be a full and comprehensive effort and will serve as a model for other nations. To fulfill our obligations, IAPMO has opened an office in India and incorporated as IAPMO Plumbing Codes and Standards India Limited. It has already become accepted simply as IAPMO - India.

Last week I had the great privilege of meeting with the Bureau of National Standards (BSN) of Indonesia. Those meetings culminated in the signing of an agreement to cooperate in developing an effort similar to that in India for the Indonesian people. I am happy to report that the meeting was attended by ministers and department directors from the Indonesian government, as well as by industry people from all over the country. The deputy chief of the mission of the United States Embassy attended and addressed the audience. It was truly a gratifying experience, and I look forward to returning and working out the rest of our venture together.

There has been a tremendous flurry of activity in the Middle East as well. About 18 months ago, IAPMO agreed to assist the government of Kuwait in developing the Uniform Potable Water Plumbing Code of Kuwait. That document is complete and will be announced at a meeting in Kuwait and then at a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council, which has expressed interest, particularly in water conservation.

More than a year ago, IAPMO responded to an RFP from USAID to develop a code of practice for, or in concert with, the Jordanian government. That project was never awarded, but now we have been contacted about resurrecting the effort. IAPMO staff has already been to Amman, Jordan, and the project is about to begin. IAPMO has assisted or signed agreements with many organizations and countries over the past decade to produce plumbing codes of practice based upon the Uniform Plumbing Code: These include Vietnam, the Philippines, Colombia, Venezuela, China, Taiwan and others

I am very proud of the international effort that has been built over the years. When we added it all up, we concluded that an IAPMO code, standard or service serves more than half of the world's population. It shows what can be done when people who want to work together to achieve a common goal take the initiative.

Allen Inlow is the senior director of business and product development for the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO). Inlow is very involved in codes development, standards, administration and enforcement and. most recently, drinking water and backflow prevention. He has been involved in the construction industry very nearly his entire life. Early in his career, he served as an inspector and building official in the construction trades in Kansas. Prior to joining IAPMO, he functioned as the chief executive officer of the National Association of Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors (PHCC-National) and before that as the executive director of the Kansas PHCC Association and the southern Kansas chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association.