Lead-free leaders Sponsored by Watts Water Technologies Lead free at last
FROM
WEARELEADFREE.NET— Beginning January of 2014, plumbing fittings for potable water will join house paint, gasoline and children's toys as members of the great national lead emancipation initiative. With a stroke of the Presidential pen, the Land of the Lead Free commences in just three short years. The new law is not only sound public policy, it's the absolute right thing to do. On January 4th, President Barrack
16
Obama signed Senate Bill S.3874, also known as the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act, which will reduce lead content in faucets, fittings and valves from 8% to a mere 0.25% from sea to shining sea. The new law mirrors current legislation in California and Vermont that went into affect in January of last year. Watts Water and its associated
brands continue to be at the forefront of the lead free plumbing
movement. No other manufacturer is more engaged, more pro-active or more responsive to the lead liberation cause than we are. Consider Watts Water's brands already offers the largest selection of lead free compliant valves and fittings in the industry, ensuring our families and children will drink safer, cleaner water for decades to come. And Watts Water's website
continues to keep you apprised of the latest in lead free news and views. It remains one of the single-most comprehensive depository of data on all things lead in cyberspace and beyond. As we move towards 2014 over the coming months and years, you can continue to count on Watts Water to provide compliant products and insightful resources for a safer, brighter tomorrow. For more info,
http://www.WeAreLeadFree.net
Canadian plumbing industry concerned about low lead policies
THE CANADIAN INSTITUTE OF PLUMBING & HEATING (CIPH) members are concerned about developing policies and standards regarding lead for plumbing products in Canada. The NSF Drinking Water Additives Joint Committee has approved the release of NSF 372 Drinking Water System Components — Lead Content. This new standard allows product to be evaluated to only a low-lead criteria without having to be fully NSF 61 certified. NSF 61 - Annex G now refers users to the new standard. Currently in Canada, certified
plumbing products are already required to conform to NSF 61 for material safety. The new NSF 372 standard is a
method that could be used to demonstrate compliance to a 0.25% weighted average lead requirement. To the best of our knowledge, there is no regulation in Canada that requires compliance to this standard. However, CIPH is in constant communication with all provinces
and territories should any changes occur. In the meantime, the Institute has
received reports that some municipalities, building managers and school districts have begun to inquire on low-lead plumbing products to manage their local, site- specific lead concerns. Contacts at Health Canada
continue to inform that there are no new lead regulations planned for the plumbing industry in the near future. In Canada, the National Plumbing Code already references CSA B125, which currently stipulates a maximum lead content criteria of 8%. The Institute is aware that Health
Canada has been working on the lead issue by monitoring changes to U.S. regulations and continuing to reevaluate its own base science and key policies. In November, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq announced tough new regulations with stricter lead content criteria for children’s toys (90ppm or 0.009%). For more info,
www.ciph.com.
A.Y. McDonald remains ahead of the curve in lead- free waterworks brass
DUBUQUE, IOWA— On Tuesday, January 4, 2011, President Barack Obama signed into law the Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act, which will reduce the allowable lead content of drinking water pipes, pipe fittings and plumbing fixtures to a weighted average of 0.25 percent. As one of the first manufacturers in the industry to offer a complete line of no-lead valves and fittings, A.Y. McDonald has been researching and preparing for this legislation for more than two decades. “This legislation cements the path
that A.Y. McDonald has been following in our industry for years,” said Mike McDonald, the company’s president and CEO. “We are delighted that the legislation has been signed into law on a national level, as it sets an appropriate and necessary course for our industry.” Lead content in drinking water has
long been a concern of industry, government and environmental organizations because of the metal’s harmful effects to the human nervous system and brain development. Until now, however, the maximum allowable lead content of drinking water pipes and fittings has been eight percent, as dictated by the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1975 (amended in 1986 and 1996). California has been a leader in the
effort to make no-lead brass the industry standard. In 2000, Los Angeles became the first city in the country to transition to no-lead brass, for which A.Y. McDonald provided the industry’s first no-lead brass corporation and curb stops. In 2006, California set the tone for the nation when Governor Schwarzenegger signed Assembly Bill 1953, reducing the maximum allowable lead content of plumbing pipes and fixtures to a weighted average of 0.25 percent. Already the industry leader in no- lead service brass, A.Y. McDonald saw great success in California after the bill passed.
phc february 2011
www.phcnews.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68