The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO<sup>®</sup>) has published the 2020 Water Efficiency and Sanitation Standard (WE•Stand) as an American National Standard. Developed by IAPMO and first published in 2017, WE•Stand is the first-ever standard that focuses solely on achieving safe and efficient water use in residential and non-residential buildings.
The 2020 WE•Stand is available for purchase HERE.
“As an industry, we must be mindful that water is a resource that must be protected and cherished,” said ASPE Executive Director/CEO Billy Smith, FASPE, who chairs the WE•Stand Technical Committee. “The 2020 WE•Stand achieves that goal while maintaining protection of the public health, safety and welfare. Jurisdictions that apply the WE•Stand will achieve safe and efficient water use in both residential and commercial facilities.”
The 2020 WE•Stand joins the 2021 editions of the Uniform Plumbing Code<sup>®</sup> (UPC), Uniform Mechanical Code<sup>®</sup> (UMC), the Uniform Solar, Hydronics and Geothermal Code<sup>®</sup> (USHGC) and the Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code<sup>®</sup> (USPSHTC) as American National Standards. The UPC and UMC have continuously earned the designation since 2003; the USHGC — originally as the Uniform Solar Energy Code (USEC) — and the USPSHTC have held the distinction since 2009.
Key provisions of the 2020 WE•Stand include:
“Having sufficient water in our lakes, rivers, streams, and aquifers is crucial to human health,” said IAPMO Senior Vice President of Codes and Standards Hugo Aguilar, PE. “According to the EPA, ‘Using water more efficiently helps maintain supplies at safe levels, protecting human health and the environment.’ The efficient use of water needs to be a worldwide objective as it is a resource that no one can live without, and IAPMO is in the forefront leading this effort for a better tomorrow. The 2020 WE•Stand is the only document solely focused on achieving safe and efficient water use. It is a must-use document for all jurisdictions.”
IAPMO employs a voluntary consensus development process accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for the development of WE•Stand, enabling anyone to have a voice in the development of the standard. The WE•Stand Technical Committee, charged with the development and ongoing maintenance of WE•Stand, brings together an impressive and diverse assembly of plumbing and water efficiency experts.
IAPMO®, a global team of experts engaging industry and government for a safer built environment, and its charitable foundation, the International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation (IWSH®), are proud to celebrate 10 years as a WorldSkills Global Industry Partner. IAPMO and IWSH celebrated the milestone this week at the annual General Assembly of WorldSkills International Members in Dubrovnik, Croatia.
A first-of-its-kind workshop for African World Plumbing Council (WPC) member organizations was held alongside the WorldSkills Africa 2025 capacity-building program for Plumbing, hosted at the Fountain Gate Craft & Trades School in Lusaka, Zambia, from Sept. 1-5. This workshop assembled a team of proactive WPC representatives from Zambia, South Africa, and Rwanda for a first in-person meeting of WPC member organizations on the continent.
ASSE International is seeking working group members to update four professional qualification standards: ASSE 13000 Standard for Service Plumber and Residential Mechanical Service Technician; ASSE 15000 Standard for the Inspection, Testing and Maintenance of Water-Based Fire Protection Systems; ASSE 27000 Standard for Hybrid Fire Extinguishing Systems Personnel; and ASSE 29000 Standard for Personnel Related to Safe Pressure Testing of Piping Systems.