12/Plumbing Engineer January 2022

line. It's a commitment to Earth's most precious resource that we take very seriously," said Patrick Boyle, Sloan director of sustainability. "Being the first general goods manufacturer to certify to the AWS standard is just one more step in our endeavor to promote water stewardship." The AWS Standard asks water-using sites to address water challenges and on-site risks to address these issues in a way that progressively moves them to best practices in terms of the following five outcomes of good water stewardship: Good water governance Sustainable water balance Good water quality status Important water-related areas Safe water, sanitation, and hygiene for all Sloan touch-free products - from faucets and flush- ometers to sinks, soap dispensers, and hand dryers - are developed with sustainability and hygiene in mind to promote health and wellness in commercial restrooms of all types. "Sloan is the perfect partner to implement the AWS Standard," said Matt Howard, director of AWS North America. "They are a leader in water-saving restroom products, and their Franklin Park facility plays a major role in the development of those products. With this cer- tification, we're proud to help highlight benefits to their corporate headquarters from improved water stewardship performance." Sloan's high-efficiency flushometers can cut down a building's water use by 30%, while its commitment to product transparency through Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Health Product Declarations (HPDs) as well as resources like its Green Product Finder and Sustainability Calculator promote water sustainability efforts.

ACEC Calls for Rescue Plan Funds to Address Supply Chain Delays and Shortages

The American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) has joined 18 other stakeholder groups in asking Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to authorize the use of state and local fiscal recovery funds under the American Rescue Plan to mitigate the effects of supply chain delays and shortages. The letter notes the materials, products, and equipment price increases and the effects they are having on project costs, which could diminish the expected benefits of the recently enacted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Supply chain disruptions have increased the cost and lengthened the delivery times for construction materials such as manufactured steel, steel and plastic piping, paint, concrete materials, and many other items. The letter recommends that the Treasury Department issue clarifying guidance that recipient governments can use Rescue Plan funds to mitigate the effects of supply chain delays and shortages, such as for material price increases and the effects they are having on project costs.

Industry News

Sedgwick County and Wichita, Kansas, Adopt 2021 UPC as Only Plumbing Code

The Sedgwick County, Kansas, Board of Commissioners has unanimously voted to end the adoption of a dual plumb- ing code and adopt only the 2021 Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC), with county-specific amendments. Soon after the action by the Board of Commissioners, the city of Wichita also unanimously voted to adopt the IAMPO 2021 UPC and align its plumbing code with the surrounding county. For years Sedgwick County adopted the UPC, but in October 2016 the board wanted to see if adopting two plumbing codes would be better for the plumbing contractors, home builders, plumbing installers and ulti- mately residents of unincorporated Sedgwick County and other smaller jurisdictions (the city of Wichita was not included). As part of this dual code adoption, the Board of Appeals of Plumbers and Gas Fitters and the Code Review Subcommittee examined which code was being used throughout the region over the past five years. By reviewing permit applications submitted and tracked by the Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department, it was found that the UPC was chosen 92% of the time. Given this overwhelming evidence in favor of the UPC, the Board of Appeals of Plumbers and Gas Fitters unanimously voted to return to a single plumbing code, and only adopt the UPC. The county commissioners heard testimony from their trusted officials, reviewed all the data before them, and on Nov. 10 decided to end the practice of a dual plumbing code and adopt only the 2021 UPC. A week later, the Wichita City Council held a hearing in which it voted 7-0 to also adopt only the 2021 UPC. "After careful review of the plumbing code, amendments were drafted to fit the needs of the industry and citizens the code serves. This code with amendments embodies the provisions, guidelines, and innovative methods that will best serve our residents," said Chris Labrum, director of the Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department. "We recognized that the majority of our industry prefers using the UPC and feel this code, as adopted, brings the greatest benefits for residential and commercial buildings. I'm very grateful for the hard work and cooperative effort our dedicated advisory board members and industry repre- sentatives displayed throughout the process." "Over the past five years it has been a pleasure to work with county officials from the building department, plumb- ing board, and the review committee to ensure that the plumbing code was amended to meet their specific needs," added Brian Rogers, vice president of field services for IAPMO. "We are grateful that the county commissioners and Wichita City Council carefully examined all the facts and voted in favor of using the UPC. IAPMO remains a committed partner and will continue to provide the indus- try's best codes and services to maintain the public health and safety. With the adoption of the 2021 UPC, Sedgwick County and the city of Wichita can provide the highest standard of protection for their drinking water and sanita- tion systems."