Plumbing code could be revised to reflect low lead standards

The National Research Council’s Construction Innovation newsletter reports that while there are currently no regulations in Canada relating to lead content in plumbing products, the situation is likely to change.

The Canadian Standards Association has published a new edition of a standard that addresses plumbing fittings and it has the same low lead content requirements as the ASME standard published in December 2012.

The Canadian Commission on Building and Fire Codes is now taking action. The Commission’s Standing Committee on Building and Plumbing Services has reviewed the updated plumbing fittings standards and recommended updating the National Plumbing Code of Canada (NPC) 2010 to reflect these new standards. As a result, and subject to approval by the CCBFC, these updates will be published as interim changes to the NPC 2010 by the end of 2013. As with all National Model Code changes, it is up to the provincial/territorial regulatory authorities to consider when and how to adopt such changes into law.

Says the article in Construction Innovation (Volume 18, No. 2): “According to Health Canada, exposure to lead can be harmful to human health, even in small amounts. Everyone is exposed to trace amounts of it in air, soil, household dust and drinking water. Although drinking water is not the most significant source of exposure in Canada, lead can leach into the water system from the corrosion of pipes and fittings, especially if those fittings touch stagnant water.”

To read the article, click here.

http://www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/ci-ic/article/v18n2-4