Industry News
California PEX Exclusion Removed
by Mike Miazga
August 27, 2010
PEX tubing is back in the California Plumbing Code.
PEX is back in the California Plumbing Code. The
California Building Standards Commission has removed the state’s exclusion of
PEX tubing from the code.
The action removes the state’s
amendment that excluded the use of PEX for water piping systems from the 2007
CPC and amends the 2010 CPC. The regulations include mitigation measures
identified in the commission’s Second Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report
(SRDEIR) and additional conditions and restrictions on the use of PEX.
The commission’s
action allows the use of PEX in all occupancies, including commercial,
residential and institutional building construction, rehabilitation and repair
under the jurisdiction of the CBSC and responsible agencies in all areas of
California. The effective date of the action was Aug. 18 for the 2007 CPC and
Jan. 1, 2011, for the 2010 CPC.
PEX became part of the California
Plumbing Code in August 2009, following CBSC’s January 2009 certification of an
Environmental Impact Report on PEX and the commission’s ensuing unanimous
adoption of regulations approving PEX water distribution systems. However, CBSC
was compelled to repeal the inclusion of PEX in the state code effective July
1, 2010, to comply with a court order. During the litigation, the court ordered
that the PEX regulations must be “vacate(d) and set aside…” pending the
commission’s preparation and certification of the SRDEIR. The commission
complied with the court’s order by repealing the previous action taken by the
commission in January 2009.
“The recent adoption of regulations
related to the use of PEX represents a statewide regulatory change,” California
Building Standards Commission Executive Director Dave Walls
said. “We believe that we have developed responsible standards that incorporate
the California Environmental Quality Act measures while integrating additional
provisions that will not only satisfy the court’s ruling but all parties
involved.”
The
tentative settlement agreement reflects the mitigation measures identified in
the SRDEIR and additional conditions and restrictions on the use of PEX that
address concerns raised after the release of the SRDEIR. The commission action
implements the terms of the settlement agreement.
California law allows
local jurisdictions to make modifications to Title 24 (which includes PEX
tubing) for reasons of local conditions, namely climate, topography and/or
geology. This provision may have an impact on the use of PEX in any particular
local jurisdiction.
“We are very excited about the
reinstatement of PEX tubing into the California Plumbing Code,” said Rich
Houle, associate product manager, commercial, for PEX
manufacturer Uponor. “We have been involved with the process since the
beginning and are pleased with the final outcome, culminating a decade of
work.”
Mike Miazga
miazgam@bnpmedia.com
Mike Miazga is the senior editor of pme. He can be reached at 847/405-4056.
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