The plumbing industry faces continuous pressure from an increasing number of challenges. Codes continue to evolve, presenting stricter requirements for system designers. Materials, tools, software and their features constantly improve, making engineers evaluate what’s right for their businesses and their customers every day.
Building science is advancing more rapidly than ever before, demanding creative solutions during the design and construction processes. Industry standards continue to be introduced and revised, which raises the bar for system performance and material requirements. One outstanding example of this is ASHRAE 188[P], the first official standard to address Legionella in building water systems. This standard should cause plumbing engineers, installers and facility operators to seriously think about the potential of their system to promote microbial growth.