The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO®) announced that the Beaumont, Texas city council has rejected the International Plumbing Code after decades of use and instead voted in favor of adopting the 2023 edition of IAPMO’s Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC®) as the plumbing code of practice for the health and safety of the city’s more than 100,000 residents.
“We support the adoption and implementation of the Uniform Plumbing Code as it ensures that the highest standards of safety, health, and sanitation are maintained in Beaumont,” said Damian Diaz of Beaumont Plumbing, licensed master plumbers specializing in residential and commercial plumbing services.
IAPMO, publisher of the UPC since 1928, stated that it appreciates the support of the Beaumont mayor and city council in shepherding the adoption process to its completion.
“It has been a pleasure to work alongside the local plumbing industry, city staff, and city council as they deliberated this important topic,” said John Mata, IAPMO senior director of Field Services.
The UPC provides as specifications to address the impact of water temperature on the potential for scalding and Legionella growth, provisions for storm piping materials and sizing methodologies, as well as domestic water right-sizing through the addition of the Water Demand Calculator™ (WDC).
The UPC was introduced in 1928 and formally published as the Uniform Plumbing Code in 1945. It is developed using IAPMO’s consensus development procedures accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). This process brings together volunteers representing a variety of viewpoints and interests to achieve consensus on construction practices.