VIEWPOINT
Lead free live T
BY JOHN MESENBRINK,EDITOR
he country is following the lead set by California and Vermont. Last month, a significant step took place in the plumbing
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industry when President Barack Obama signed the Senate Bill S.3874 low lead bill into law. On January 4, Obama penned the bill; the initiative will reduce lead content in faucets, fittings and valves — in all states in the country — from 8% to a mere 0.25%. This bill becomes effective January 4, 2014, allowing ample time for manufacturers to comply. “This is an exciting victory, primarily for consumers, and also for the plumbing manufacturing industry, as well as for wholesalers, retailers, contractors and others involved with the production, distribution, sales and installation of these products,” said Barbara Higgens, executive director of the Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI). “There is widespread support within the industry for this legislation, including the members of PMI, which make up 95% of the small, medium and large plumbing manufacturers.” Signed into law by former governor Schwarzenegger
on Sept. 30, 2006, Assembly Bill (AB) 1953 — includes a formula for measuring the weighted average lead content of a pipe, pipe fitting, plumbing fitting or fixture. In addition to the 0.25 percent lead limit on wetted surface areas of fixtures, the law sets the benchmark for solder and flux at 0.2 percent, and went into effect in California on Jan. 1, 2010. The Vermont State Senate also adopted its Senate Bill S.152, mirroring California’s standard, and it also went into effect January 1, 2010. This will require the amount of
| ADVERTISERS’ INDEX |
Acorn Engineering Co. ...................49
www.acorneng.com AERCO...........................................31
www.aerco.com Apollo ...............................................9
www.apollovalves.com Bare Bones Biz ...............................58
www.barebonesbiz.com Bavco ..............................................10
www.bavco.com Bradford White ...............................61
www.bradfordwhite.com Burnham Boilers - US Boiler Co..IFC
www.burnham.com CS Unitec........................................14
www.csunitec.com
Cash Acme ......................................53
www.sharkbitepro.com Chicago Faucets................................7
www.chicagofaucets.com Daikan AC.......................................37
www.daikinac.com Floodmaster.....................................30
www.floodmaster.com
Gastite/Thermaflex ........................BC
www.gastite.com General Pipe Cleaners, a Div. of General Wire Spring ..........29, 54
www.drainbrain.com HeatingHelp.com ............................11
www.heatinghelp.com John Guest.......................................22
www.jgspeedfit.com Liberty Pumps.................................41
www.libertypumps.com NAOHSM.......................................38
www.naohsm.org Navien.......................................21, 55
www.navienamerica.com Panasonic......................................IBC
www.panasonic.com PexSupply .......................................63
www.pexsupply.com PHCC GLAA..................................35
www.phccglaa.org Precision Hydronics........................62
www.phpinc.us
Rectorseal........................................27
www.rectorseal.com Rheem ...............................................3
www.rheem.com RIDGID...........................................15
www.ridgid.com Slant/Fin..........................................45
www.slantfin.com Stiebel Eltron ..................................34
www.stiebel-eltron-usa.com
Taco.................................................43
www.taco-hvac.com
Watts..........................................17, 57
www.watts.com
Webstone.......................................4, 5
www.webstonevalves.com
Weldbend ...................................18-19
www.weldbend.com
Wohler.............................................13
www.wohlerusa.com
Woodford Mfg.................................33
www.woodfordmfg.com Zoeller .............................................23
www.zoeller.com
lead in plumbing fixtures not to exceed 0.25%. To help manufacturers and water treatment professionals abide by the new law, Annex G has been established to NSF/ANSI Standard 61 to provide a means of compliance with the law. NSF developed the evaluation procedures in NSF/ANSI Standard 61- Annex G to establish an American National Standard to determine product compliance with the ≤0.25% percent maximum weighted average lead content requirement of the California Health and Safety Code (Section 116875; commonly known as AB1953), as well as for other states developing similar regulations. Interestingly enough, our neighbors to the north
have no plans to reduce lead in their drinking water. According to the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH), “Contacts at Health Canada continue to inform that there are no new lead regulations planned for the plumbing industry in the near future. 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 their own base science and key policies.” Nonetheless, keep the low lead conversation going; ask manufacturers how they are complying with this new regulation. The new law provides a 36-month implementation period from approval, after which time manufacturers and importers will be required to comply with the new standard. Hearing about how a manufacturer has put the
processes in place to comply is interesting in and of itself.;
phc february 2011
www.phcnews.com
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