Many
believe that the major decisions regarding the codes have all occurred. To
them, time has passed and it is no longer important to participate in code
change hearings.
Well, that is not true. Next month, in Rochester, NY, perhaps the most
important decision in the history of codes will occur. That decision is whether
to mandate residential sprinklers for all one- and two-family dwellings.
For years, the gravity tank has graced urban skylines,
housing water and harnessing an energy known as simple gravity. Prior to the proliferation of
fire pumps, the wooden rooftop water tanks were long considered the first line
of defense against high-rise building fires. They ensured both an adequate
quantity of water and adequate pressure.
The
first meeting of the IAPMO Plumbing Technical Committee and Mechanical
Technical Committee will take place the week of April 23, 2007, in St. Louis,
MO-the first meeting that the changes to the 2009 Uniform Codes will be
discussed. Equally important, the ASPE Legislative Committee proposed a series
of code changes that would dovetail into the code changes proposed by the DWV
task group.
Every year around this time, the temperatures begin to increase. Simultaneously, the important events of the plumbing engineering industry tend to do the same.
Last month, I finished part one of this column with a section called “The Code Compliance Debacle.” In there, I noted that, as the traditional healthcare landscape changes, the odyssey of code compliance becomes a never-ending journey. It’s a code-saturated playing field.
Last month I attended an International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) Committee meeting in Ontario, CA. During a crucial discussion on the engineering design of DWV systems, one of the participants stated that the plumbing code is for the plumber.
Fire is an actuality of very low probability, but one of severe consequence. Once it starts to spread, fire moves quickly, producing an abundance of blinding toxic smoke. And smoke kills. If you think long and hard about each and every building in your town, the very last place you would want a fire to start is in your local hospital.
The week after Thanksgiving, I attended a meeting of the NSF Joint Committee of Drinking Water Additives. This is the committee that develops NSF 60 and 61.
Reno, NV-An arson fire occurring on Halloween night in downtown Reno claimed the lives of 12 people. A resident of the Mizpah Hotel, 47-year-old Valerie Moore, is alleged to have started the fire and was being held in the Washoe County Jail (as of press time).