The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) announced that the City of Vancouver, British Columbia has adopted IAPMO’s Water Demand Calculator™ (WDC) for potable water systems through the Vancouver Plumbing By-law.
Vancouver had already made inroads in the use of the WDC. Starting in 2019, all rainwater harvesting and reuse systems in the city had to utilize the WDC for pipe sizing regardless of the treatment train being used.
IAPMO says that the WDC is a money-saving alternative to conventional pipe sizing that can also reduce the amount of stagnant water in pipes. The WDC predicts peak water demand in single-family homes and apartment buildings. By building structures according to this predicted peak demand, the calculator can help reduce the carbon footprint of a structure and save on both water and water heating-related energy utility bills for the life of the plumbing system. At the same time, proper sizing greatly minimizes the potential threat of bacterial growth within the system.
“We are very excited to see the city of Vancouver adopt IAPMO’s Water Demand Calculator,” said Christoph Lohr, IAPMO vice president of technical services and research. “IAPMO prides itself on being an international organization, and working toward improving plumbing systems around the globe, for all people. With Vancouver formally adopting the Water Demand Calculator, this is another step in showing the ability of IAPMO’s technical expertise to improve plumbing resiliency across borders.”
Contained within Appendix M of the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC®) and free to download, the WDC v2.1 addresses water quality issues attributed to lower flows in oversized premise plumbing while simultaneously using less water and energy. It is the result of a multiyear effort to develop a new statistically-based pipe sizing method stemming from a need to address water safety and wasted water and energy concerns resulting from oversized water supply pipes in homes and buildings.
“The WDC is a welcome addition to the Vancouver Plumbing By-law,” said Phillip White, manager of plumbing and mechanical inspections for the City of Vancouver. “The development, engineering and mechanical industry will benefit from the ‘real-world’ probability of use, of which it has been designed, and with today’s changing climate, the calculator reduces material and energy costs for the owners. As a jurisdiction, it is equally important that we adopt proven new technology within a reasonable timeframe. I thank IAPMO for the tremendous effort that has gone into the WDC and their continued support.”
