International Code Council Recognizes the Importance of World Plumbing Day

For those of us living in a modern home, it’s easy to take indoor plumbing and running water for granted. But for an estimated 2 billion people around the world who lack access to safe, clean water and the 3.6 billion people living without basic sanitation, the absence of these amenities is a significant hardship that directly threatens their health and well-being.

See Related: The Urgent Need to Address Water Scarcity Through Scientifically Supported Water Conservation Solutions

Lack of access to clean water and proper sanitation systems not only poses major health risks but also serves to inhibit agriculture and other economic activities. According to UNICEF, 4 billion people experience severe water scarcity for at least one month each year, and some 700 million people could be displaced by intense water scarcity by 2030.

The plumbing industry is a leader in efforts to promote water-related sustainability, particularly through its support for technologies bolstering water reuse and recovery, including desalination, solar water heating and the management of gray water.

Individuals, companies and organizations worldwide, including the International Code Council, are pursuing efforts to bring effective plumbing and sanitation facilities to those who currently don’t have access.

The Code Council has established a World Water Awareness campaign that will raise awareness about the global water crisis and the collective responsibility to address it through long-term, consistent water conservation efforts.

See Related: The Code Council’s World Water Awareness Campaign Aims to Combat Global Water Crisis

World Plumbing Day

To bring additional attention to the importance of plumbing, sanitation and fresh water, World Plumbing Day — an international event celebrated on March 11 every year — highlights the essential role of plumbers and code-compliant plumbing systems in improving public health and protecting the environment.

The plumbing industry understands first-hand the need to continually develop ever-better building, plumbing and green codes to help guard water through proper construction, conservation and safe disposal.

See Related: Be Proud to Be a Plumber

The Code Council offers modern, up-to-date building codes and standards that lead to resilient communities, safe plumbing, efficient technologies and a well-trained, professional workforce of code officials and plumbing professionals to design, install and maintain these systems.

“At the Code Council, we understand the importance of strengthening water conservation initiatives. Through our commitment to sustainable practices, we acknowledge the critical role plumbing systems play in ensuring safe and efficient potable water delivery and wastewater reuse and management. On World Plumbing Day, we take pride in celebrating the dedication of individuals who uphold these standards, safeguarding public health and the environment,” said Gary Gauthier, Director of PMG Technical Services for the Code Council. “I encourage everyone to join us in recognizing the invaluable contributions of plumbers by participating in World Plumbing Day.”

The International Codes

The International Codes® (I-Codes) are a family of 15 coordinated building codes developed by the Code Council, many of which work together to ensure safe plumbing systems in both residential and commercial buildings.

The International Plumbing Code® (IPC) is not just a code, but a part of a complete building safety system, providing an integral component necessary to stay current with the latest building safety technologies while meeting the public health, sanitation and safety requirements. The IPC is a performance-based code, very flexible in its approaches to water-saving and efficiency issues, as well as water reuse options.

See Related: Unveiling the 2024 Editions of the International Plumbing Code and the International Mechanical Code

The International Residential Code® (IRC) contains many of the same water efficiency and water reuse provisions that are noted in the IPC — these all-encompassing options provide detailed methods for collecting, storing and using various types of non-potable water. The code recognizes the growing need for water conservation and the increase in the development of water conservation programs in many regions of the United States.

The International Green Construction Code® (IgCC) contains even more provisions for the collection, treatment and storage and use of non-potable water in the form of onsite collected rainwater and gray water, and externally treated reclaimed water supplied to the site.

The International Private Sewage Disposal Code® (IPSDC), co-published with the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association, includes provisions for design, installation and inspection of private sewage disposal systems, and provides flexibility in the development of safe systems. The IPSDC facilitates the use of the latest science-based best practices and innovative technologies in safely handling onsite, decentralized wastewater, thereby reducing customers’ costs. The IPSDC also addresses inconsistencies within many regulations that dictate how decentralized systems can be designed, installed and operated.

The International Water Conservation Code Provisions® (IWCCP) is the best and most comprehensive tool for the design, installation and administration of potable and non-potable water conservation and efficiency systems. It contains all the water conservation and hot water energy-saving requirements from the I-Codes for both residential and commercial occupancies including provisions from the IgCC and International Energy Conservation Code® (IECC).

See Related: Updated Rainwater Harvesting Standard: Conserving Water for the Long Run

Resources Offered Through the Code Council

The Code Council’s involvement with water-related issues goes well beyond offering model codes — it works to build a well-trained workforce of code officials and plumbing professionals to maintain advanced water systems. The association offers specifically designed certification programs for inspectors, examiners, contractors and trades to the IPC, which include:

• Residential Plumbing Inspector
• Commercial Plumbing Inspector
• Plumbing Plans Examiner
• National Standard Master Plumber
• National Standard Journeyman Plumber
• National Standard Master Plumber with Gas
• National Standard Journeyman Plumber with Gas
• National Standard Residential Plumber.

The Code Council also provides a full suite of training and education courses geared specifically for the IPC and IRC. Instructors provide hands-on, practical problem-solving training and are available to teach on-site single- or multi-day courses.

The ICC Evaluation Service (ICC-ES) PMG Listing Program assists code enforcement professionals in determining whether plumbing products comply with codes and applicable standards.

The ICC-ES PMG program provides a comprehensive evaluation of plumbing, mechanical and fuel gas codes and standards as well as proof of compliance with the IgCC, green rating systems, WaterSense, ICC-ES Acceptance (or Listing) Criteria, Canadian and Mexican plumbing standards, and the Unified Water Label, recognized through Europe.

The PMG Listing Directory provides details on all products certified by ICC-ES and PMG listing criteria can be developed when there are no consensus standards or equivalent available for a product seeking to become certified to the IPC. Additionally, ICC-ES is a licensed certifying body to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program for water closets, lavatory faucets, showerheads, urinals and weather-based irrigation controllers.

Code Council in Action

The Code Council will be sponsoring season five of Pfister® Faucet’s docuseries American Plumber Stories which is anticipated to air in the second half of 2024. The new episodes will be filmed all over the world, with some featuring plumbing stories in the land down under.  American Plumber Stories is a docuseries that serves to inspire, educate and entertain both current and future members of the plumbing industry. The show celebrates the lives and work of all plumbers by sharing their passion, advice to the next generation of plumbers and their plans to reshape the industry.

Honoring the Plumbing Industry

Construction professionals around the globe are banding together to learn how the plumbing industry continually improves the products and services the industry offers for both commercial and residential projects. The Code Council salutes World Plumbing Day and the many plumbing-related organizations working to improve public health and safeguard access to fresh potable water.

For more coverage on World Plumbing Day, follow the Code Council on LinkedIn and Facebook and use the hashtag #WorldPlumbingDay when sharing your activities on social media.

If you would like to learn more about resources and support for plumbing code adoption, visit the Code Council’s PMG webpage.