HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Read Before Packet - 12/18/2018 - Memorandum From Liesel Hans Re: December 18, 2018 City Council Meeting Agenda Item #22 - Adoption And Amendment Of The International Codes Related To Buildings And Building Regulations (Updated PowerUtilities
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M E M O R A N D U M
DATE: December 18, 2018
TO: Mayor Troxell and Councilmembers
FROM: Liesel Hans, Water Conservation Manager
THROUGH: Darin Atteberry, City Manager
Jeff Mihelich, Deputy City Manager
Kevin R. Gertig, Utilities Executive Director
RE: December 18, 2018, City Council Meeting Agenda Item # 22, Items relating to
the Adoption and Amendment of the International Codes relating to Buildings and
Building Regulations.
Attached is a presentation that supports the questions raised at the December 4 City Council
meeting regarding Item 22 on the December 18, 2018 Agenda – Items relating to the Adoption
and Amendment of the International Codes relating to Buildings and Building Regulations,
specifically the proposed plumbing fixture recommendations.
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12-18-2018
Building Code – Proposed Plumbing Fixture Amendments
Liesel Hans, Water Conservation Manager
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Alignment and Purpose
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Encourage Greater
Integration of Water
Efficiency Into Land Use
Planning and Building Codes
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Purpose Today
Leading up to, and during the December 4, 2018 City Council meeting,
Staff heard comments from plumbing industry stakeholders, including
Kohler, Waterpik, and the overall industry group, Plumbing Manufacturers
International (PMI).
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Proposal
1. Increase Maximum Performance (MaP) score from 350 to 600
grams for toilets.
2. Improve efficiency of showerheads from 2.0 gallons per minute
(gpm) to 1.8 gpm
3. Match commercial private lavatory standard to existing commercial
public lavatory standard: 0.5 gpm, with exemptions for R- and I-
occupancies.
• Clarify language for WaterSense and dual flush requirements.
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Options
Option 1: Adopt as proposed.
• No cost, availability,
health impacts.
Option 2: Do not adopt,
maintain 2012 standards.
Option 3: Delay
consideration for 1 year.
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Example efficiency
legislation
Toilets (gpf)
Shower
-heads
(gpm)
Kitchen
Faucet*
(gpm)
Bathroom
Lavatory
(gpm)
Urinals
(gpf)
Fort Collins (proposed) 1.28, 600MaP 1.8 1.8 1.5/0.5 0.5
Fort Collins (2012) 1.28, 350MaP 2.0 1.8 1.5 0.5
EPA WaterSense 1.28 2.0 1.8* 1.5 0.5
Vermont 1.28 2.0 1.8 1.5/0.5 0.5
California 1.28 1.8 1.8 1.2/0.5 0.5
Colorado 1.28 2.0 N/A 1.5 0.5
New York City 1.28 2.0 2.2 1.5/0.5 0.5
Georgia 1.28 2.5 2.0 1.5 0.5
Texas 1.28 2.5/2.0 2.2 2.2/0.5 0.5
Washington** 1.28 1.8 1.8 1.2 0.5
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9/12
Building
Code
Review
Committee
9/20
Water
Board
9/26
Building
Code
Review
Committee
10/24
Building
Code
Review
Committee
10/25
Building
Review
Board
2018
TIMELINE
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Stakeholder Outreach and Correspondence
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Outreach prior to 1st
Reading
Industry Stakeholder Request: Result from Staff and Committee:
Showerhead 1.8 gpm instead of 1.75gpm Agreed to change to 1.8.
Revisit the dual flush language.
Adjusted language to be consistent with EPA
WaterSense.
Keep existing 350 MaP score. Staff maintains 600 MaP score proposal.
Not all plumbing fixtures/fittings are
WaterSense labeled.
Made the edits.
Exclude residential-type occupancies
from proposed lavatory 0.5 gpm standard
Agreed, exempting R- and I-occupancies.
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December 4, 2018
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Showerhead comments
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Staff Response and Research
Customer complaints. Cannot determine causality. No broad research or evidence.
Dissatisfaction leads to
tampering
No evidence. Studies show lower flow rate doesn’t impact
shower duration and saves water.
Potential health issues No evidence to suggest concern.
Changes will lead people
to locate elsewhere
No evidence.
Drain line issues
Plumbing Efficiency Research Coalition (PERC) studies show
no impact.
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Toilet comments
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Staff Response and Research
350 MaP score should be
sufficient.
Maintain proposal. Still inconsistency in performance.
Sacrifice of light weight
removal
All toilets must still meet all ASME requirements. No evidence
to suggest a trade off.
Availability and choice No impact.
How would you know the
MaP score?
MaP score rating since 2012. Commonly available.
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Availability and Cost
• No impact on cost or availability
• Building Code Review Committee independently verified
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Water Quality/Health Questions
No evidence suggests issues exist in our service
area or will result from the proposed changes.
• Drexel: No evidence for concern.
• Purdue/Virginia Tech: No evidence for
concern.
Staff will continue to monitor and review the
research.
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Water use and estimated savings
No evidence of “twice as long” or “twice the flushes”
• From 1999 to 2016:
• No change in shower duration
• No change in flushes per person
• And, evidence of significant water savings
Proposed showerhead savings: 264 million gallons.
• Bonus, energy savings.
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Summary
• Recommendation is aligned with our
Strategic Plan, sustainability focus,
and Water Efficiency Plan goals.
• Will result in savings of at least 264
million gallons of water.
• Found industry claims to not be
substantial, will continue to monitor.
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