A Look Ahead
Ray W. Moore, PE, CPD, 2006–2008 ASPE Vice President, Legislative

ASPE has taken an aggressive approach regarding legislative activism. The Society believes plumbing codes should be based on scientific and engineering principles and not on arbitrary restrictions. Who better than plumbing engineers and designers to present technical issues to the different code bodies?

The Legislative Committee is responsible for preparing code changes to the model plumbing codes and assembling information and material to be used to clarify or resolve matters pertaining to codes, ordinances, or legislation. The Legislative Committee also provides advisory services to chapters, other associations, and government agencies involved in writing or enacting codes and legislation.

ASPE also has a policy statement on supporting the creation and implementation of a single model plumbing code. As part of this legislative activism and policy statement on a single plumbing code, ASPE sponsored a conference in May of 2005 to gather all interested parties and hopefully formulate a method for creating one nationally recognized plumbing code that incorporates all engineering principles and concepts. In July 2006, ICC and IAPMO held a Town Meeting to discuss their progress on developing a joint plumbing code. They announced that they would develop a joint plumbing code for publication in the 2009 edition. However, at the end of August, ICC and IAPMO jointly announced that negotiations on this joint venture had ended. We are very disappointed with this development. I have personally been in contact with the president of ICC, and he has assured me that they will continue negotiations with IAPMO. As these negotiations continue, ASPE will work closely with ICC and IAPMO to develop one model plumbing code that is acceptable to most parties involved.

The VP legislative is also the board liaison to and member of the Main Standards Committee. The standards are progressing very well. The Siphonic Roof Drainage Standard has been completed. It has been approved by the Main Standards Committee and the board of directors. This standard now will be published for public comment. The Hot Water Temperature and Control Standards Committee is close to having a standard ready for voting by the Main Committee. The standard on venting, domestic water pipe sizing, and hot water temperature and commissioning continues to move forward. It is anticipated that at least two more of these standards will be completed by the next Convention.

We continue to be active on the model code technical committees. Julius Ballanco continues to serve on the UPC Technical Committee. I have been appointed as an alternate to Julius. The current deadline for submitting proposed code changes is February 2007. ICC has appointed two ASPE members to its code change committee: Jim Shepherd and I. Greg Farmer has been appointed as ASPE’s representative to the IMC Code Change Committee. We also have representation on many other standards committees.