ICC and NOWRA Partnership Among Industry Efforts Focused on Wastewater on World Water Day

Organizations Seek Opportunities for Making Safe and Clean Water a National Priority

As World Water Day, March 22, aims to elevate the awareness and dialogue about the need for improved treatment of wastewater, members of the International Code Council (ICC) and the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) enlist their ongoing support for efforts and events that demonstrate this year’s theme, ‘Why Waste Water?’

According to the World Water Day organization, there are more than 663 million people worldwide living without close and easy access to a clean and safe water supply for drinking, bathing and cleaning. Further, most of the wastewater from residences and commercial facilities worldwide flows right back into the ecosystem – without being treated or reused.

“World Water Day reminds us all of the intrinsic value of clean water and why it is so important to every human being – and our nation’s future,” ICC Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO, said. “Modernized, well-functioning water and wastewater systems are essential to our individual health and quality of life. And, in a broader sense, managing water supply, treatment and wastewater capacity will also affect our nation’s future economic strength.”

Recently, ICC and NOWRA, two organizations that are committed to reducing and reusing wastewater through sanitary treatment, partnered to co-publish the International Private Sewage Disposal Code® (IPSDC). The IPSDC applies best practices and the latest technologies to safeguard communities, individuals, and businesses using onsite wastewater solutions. In effect, the code calibrates inconsistencies within many regulations that determine how decentralized systems can be designed, installed, and operated.

“Our collaboration with NOWRA on the IPSDC underscores our commitment to reducing and reusing wastewater,” said Sims. “We’re combining many years of industry expertise from ICC’s and NOWRA’s memberships to develop safe and affordable private sewage disposal solutions for consumers.”

Jim Bell, NOWRA’s Board of Directors President added: “Our combined goal is to facilitate the use of the latest science-based best practices and innovative technologies in safely handling onsite, decentralized wastewater. Through modernization and addressing regulatory inconsistencies, the outcome will be reducing and reusing wastewater – a high-impact issue that deserves our nation’s attention right now.”

Elevating Water as a National Priority

In March, industry and community groups are informing and inspiring colleagues, policy makers and the public sector with stories and activities illustrating the efficient use of water and wastewater in the water cycle, cities, industry and agriculture. Hundreds of World Water Day events are taking place globally to draw awareness and discuss solutions.

For example, a number of organizations are participating in U.S. Water Week events held March 21-22 in Washington, DC, such as the National Water Policy Fly-In. Informative sessions, including the Plenary Session and Water = Jobs: The Economic Opportunity of Investing in Water Infrastructure Session, will focus on a variety of topics relating to infrastructure funding, affordability, and regulatory issues.

Others are educating the public on the state of our wastewater management systems. The ASCE Committee on America’s Infrastructure’s 2017 Report Card points out, aging infrastructure is at the root of problems facing the treatment of wastewater. The latest report card gives America’s infrastructure a ‘D+’, citing that a large portion of the system shows significant deterioration, and its condition and capacity are of serious concern.

“In many instances, infrastructure for water, wastewater and stormwater is quite old and needs to be replaced,” Sims noted. “ICC supports ongoing efforts and governmental funding mechanisms to preserve and regenerate our aging infrastructure.”

In addition, Misty Guard, ICC Vice President, Plumbing and Mechanical Programs, said that the water-energy nexus is another key area to spotlight during World Water Day. “As we find ways to upgrade today’s wastewater processes and technologies, not only will we cut down on water waste, but we’ll also be able to conserve and reduce the amount of energy used to treat the water,” she said. “That can lead to a significant impact on our global natural resource supply.”

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About the International Code Council

The International Code Council is a member-focused association. It is dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures. Most U.S. communities and many global markets choose the International Codes.

About the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association

The National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) is the largest organization within the U.S. dedicated to educating and representing members within the onsite and decentralized industry. NOWRA was founded in 1992 to educate and serve its members and the public by promoting sound federal, state, and local policies, to improve standards of practice, and increase public recognition of the need for and benefits of onsite and decentralized wastewater infrastructure.

ICC and NOWRA to Co-Publish International Private Sewage Disposal Code

The International Code Council (ICC) and National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) announce an agreement to co-publish the International Private Sewage Disposal Code© (IPSDC). The IPSDC addresses the best practices and technologies to ensure the safety and welfare of communities, individuals, and businesses that utilize their own onsite wastewater solutions. Currently adopted within 17 states and by 102 jurisdictions, the U.S. territories of Guam and Puerto Rico, as well as in Abu Dhabi, the IPSDC is quickly becoming the primary resource for communities that wish to implement safe, affordable private sewage disposal solutions.

Through leveraging the combined expertise of ICC’s and NOWRA’s memberships, the collaborative effort on the IPSDC will facilitate the use of the latest science-based best practices and innovative technologies in safely handling onsite, decentralized wastewater, thereby reducing customers’ costs. The IPSDC addresses inconsistencies within many regulations that dictate how decentralized systems can be designed, installed, and operated.

A leader in educating and representing members within the onsite and decentralized wastewater industry, NOWRA’s members include contractors, service providers, designers, engineers, soil scientists, manufacturers, suppliers and others involved in the protection of water resources and the environment.

“All members are critical contributors to ICC’s code development process for future editions of the IPSDC,” said ICC Chief Executive Officer Dominic Sims, CBO. “The NOWRA organization and membership involved in the code development process of the IPSDC will ensure the latest technologies are included in future versions of the code.”

“Decentralized solutions are not only acceptable but, in many cases, the preferable means for effectively and efficiently handling wastewater,” explained ICC Board of Directors President M. Dwayne Garriss. “These systems can sustainably serve single homes, neighborhoods, and entire communities, including commercial and industrial facilities.”

“NOWRA is pleased to collaborate with ICC on development of the next version of the IPSDC,” said Jim Bell, NOWRA Board of Directors President. “This agreement will help local and state jurisdictions ensure that their own regulations encompass the greatest advances in the science and technology of onsite and decentralized wastewater treatment. We believe the IPSDC will speed up technology transfer and lower costs to the consumer by encouraging modernization and greater regulatory consistency between regulations at both the local and state levels.”

The code development cycle for the 2018 IPSDC is complete and the latest issue will be available through the ICC and NOWRA websites in 2017.  Communities looking for more information to adopt the IPSDC can contact Sara Yerkes, ICC Senior Vice President of Government Relations, at 1-888-ICC-SAFE (422-7233), ext. 6247 or by email at syerkes@iccsafe.org.

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About the International Code Council

The International Code Council is a member-focused association. It is dedicated to developing model codes and standards used in the design, build and compliance process to construct safe, sustainable, affordable and resilient structures. Most U.S. communities and many global markets choose the International Codes.

About the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association

The National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) is the largest organization within the U.S. dedicated to educating and representing members within the onsite and decentralized industry. NOWRA was founded in 1992 to educate and serve its members and the public by promoting sound federal, state, and local policies, to improve standards of practice, and increase public recognition of the need for and benefits of onsite and decentralized wastewater infrastructure.