Chicago, IL, Nov. 30, 2012 -- A new American National Standard to provide design and installation requirements for rainwater catchment systems is being jointly developed by the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association (ARCSA) and the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE), with sponsorship support from the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO).
ARCSA/ASPE 63: Rainwater Catchment Systems, an existing standard published in July 2009, has gone through extensive revision using the ASPE standards development process accredited by the American National Standards Institute. The draft revisions are now open for public comment until 11:59 CST on Jan.18, 2013. To view the draft standard and submit a comment, visit aspe.org/publicreview.
ARCSA/ASPE 63 has already achieved broad recognition by being adopted into the IAPMO Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement and the 2012 National Standard Plumbing Code published by NAPHCC, as well as providing the foundation for rainwater catchment system criteria that have been recently added to model plumbing codes.
Jim Kendzel, MPH, CAE, Executive Director/CEO of ASPE, noted, “ASPE is pleased to continue our long and positive relationship with ARCSA in continually working to improve ARCSA/ASPE 63. I also want to thank IAPMO for stepping forward and joining ARCSA and ASPE by helping to sponsor this standard. It is our sincere hope that other model code bodies and agencies around the country will see the importance of adopting this standard to provide a set of consistent requirements for rainwater catchment systems in the U.S. and internationally.”
Rainwater catchment systems provide an important alternate source of water, and quality design standards are critical for protecting the health of those who use water from these installations in potable and nonpotable applications. ARSCA/ASPE 63 is designed to assist engineers, designers, plumbers, builders/developers, local governments, and end users in safely implementing a rainwater catchment system using precipitation from a rooftop and other hard, impervious surfaces. It applies to new installations as well as alterations, additions, maintenance, and repairs to existing rainwater catchment installations. It does not apply to the collection of rainwater from vehicular parking or other similar surfaces.
ARCSA/ASPE 63 will provide guidance in how to design, install, and maintain a healthy alternative to municipal water and to optimize rainwater utilization, while preventing risk to consumers from poor design, installation, and maintenance, or illegal work; reducing risk to the public from injury or loss of amenity due to a failure of the supply, installation, maintenance, or operation of the rainwater catchment system; and ensuring that the rainwater catchment system will assist in maintaining and enhancing the quality of the environment while helping to ensure compliance with the intent of relevant regulations and local government officials.
About ASPE
ASPE is the only professional organization devoted to the training and certification of plumbing engineers and designers. ASPE and its 6,000 worldwide members are dedicated to protecting the health, welfare, and safety of the public through the dissemination of technical data and information to expand the base of knowledge among plumbing engineers, designers, contractors, code officials, inspectors, and manufacturers. For more information, visit ASPE.org.
About ARCSA
The American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was founded in 1994 by Dr. Hari J. Krishna in Austin, Texas to promote rainwater catchment systems in the United States. Its membership consists of professionals working in city, state, and federal governments, academia, manufacturers and suppliers of rainwater harvesting equipment, consultants, and other interested individuals. For more information, visit ARCSA.org.
About IAPMO
Founded in Los Angeles in 1926, IAPMO has grown to be recognized the world over for its Uniform Codes. With offices in 12 U.S. states and 13 countries, IAPMO has assisted with code development in such diverse places as Saudi Arabia, China, India, Jordan, Egypt, Israel, Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines, Venezuela, Colombia, and the United Arab Emirates. For more information, visit IAPMO.org.
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