With the first in-person code hearing since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a question of how many people would show up for the ICC meeting. Walking in on the first morning, it was shocking to see a full room. ICC requested attendees be fully vaccinated or wear masks if not fully vaccinated. On the first day, it appeared about 10% of the crowd was wearing masks. That’s not including the ICC staff, where every staff member was required to wear a mask. By the second day, the mask-wearing more than doubled, though still a minority of people present.
Public comments to the International Plumbing Code were the third group to be considered. There was very little controversy for the Pool and spa Code and the Fuel Gas Code. The first plumbing code change was regarding updating the fixture unit values for residential and single-user toilet rooms. The change was based on a study by Tom Konen, P.E., who has since passed away. As the proponent of the code change, I was asked to submit a public comment. The Plumbing Code Committee rejected the change, stating they did not like the wording in the proposal but liked the concept.