Washington, D.C. – On April 20, 2023, the International Code Council and CSA Group announced the publication of an updated joint standard for harvesting rainwater and stormwater. CSA B805/ICC 805-2022 Rainwater harvesting systems, which is available on the Code Council’s website, provides guidance to property owners, contractors, builders, architects and code officials on constructing new buildings or renovating existing buildings in ways to conserve water and protect water resources. 

The updated standard provides design, material, installation and operation parameters for residential and commercial systems that safely utilize rainwater for potable uses such as human consumption, food preparation and bathing. It also provides parameters for systems using rainwater and/or stormwater for non-potable uses such as irrigation, fire protection and toilet/urinal flushing 

“Rainwater harvesting systems can play a vital role in reducing the burden on public water utilities and infrastructure,” said Dwayne Torrey, Director of Construction and Infrastructure Standards at CSA Group. “This Standard seeks to make it easier for jurisdictions to accept and approve rainwater harvesting systems on a much wider scale than has previously been possible.” 

“Water scarcity is a global problem, and we are committed to providing regulatory guidance to help communities conserve water,” said Matt Sigler, Code Council Executive Director of Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas. “Harvesting rainwater is a great solution, provided there are standards in place for communities to do so safely.” 

CSA B805/ICC 805-2022 is the second edition of the standard and supersedes the previous edition published in 2018. It has been approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as an American National Standard and is the only ANSI standard that covers both rainwater and stormwater. 

“In order to protect public health, we need consistency for advances in water reuse products and we need to find ways to increase the availability of reuse solutions,” said Sigler. “There are many ways for industry stakeholders to get involved, including participation in the Code Council’s Water Reuse Working Group.” 

The Code Council, in partnership with The National Blue-Ribbon Commission for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems (NBRC), has established a Water Reuse Working Group to explore opportunities to protect public health and better support jurisdictions seeking to advance water reuse opportunities. This diverse working group will research all aspects of onsite water reuse, develop a roadmap and propose needed resources, including recommended updates to the International Codes® necessary to meet jurisdictions’ water reuse goals.   

Interested parties are invited to learn more about the Water Reuse Working Group and get involved by contacting staff liaisons Kevin McOsker (kmcosker@iccsafe.org) or Rich Anderson (randerson@iccsafe.org).   

For more information about CSA B805/ICC 805-2022 visit here. 

### 

About the International Code Council 
The International Code Council is the leading global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions. Code Council codes, standards and solutions are used to ensure safe, affordable and sustainable communities and buildings worldwide. 

About CSA Group 

CSA Group is a global organization dedicated to safety, social good and sustainability. We are a leader in North American standards development and in product testing, inspection and certification around the world. Our mandate is to hold the future to a higher standard. 

Washington, D.C. – The two-week countdown has begun for the International Code Council’s 43rd annual Building Safety Month. The campaign, designed to increase awareness of building safety issues in homes, schools and other buildings, will feature five weekly themes: 

• Week One: Building Safety Starts at Home (May 1-7) highlights how building safety impacts our everyday lives. 
• Week Two: Building Safety Professionals and You (May 8-14) clarifies the role of building safety professionals in our communities. 
• Week Three: Preparing your Community (May 15-21) focuses on how to prepare for natural disasters and other hazardous events. 
• Week Four: Advocating for your Community (May 22-28) provides tips and tools to advocate for local building safety. 
• Week Five: Solving Challenges Together (May 29-31) illustrates what countries are doing to address issues such as water scarcity and clean buildings.  

“This year’s theme, ‘It Starts with You’, invites people to consider how building safety impacts nearly every part of their lives including their homes and families,” said Code Council President Michael Wich, CBO. “During Building Safety Month, we encourage people to become more aware of the building codes and standards that protect us from harm. We hope it leads to more discussions around what we can all do to create safer spaces to live, work and play.”   

Each year, communities around the world sign official proclamations to declare May as Building Safety Month. To view current proclamations, or submit your own, click here.  

2023 Building Safety Month sponsors include the American Gas Association, Society of Fire Protection Engineers, Gypsum Association, American Concrete Institute, Simpson Strong-Tie, National Multifamily Housing Council, and more. To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, click here. 

### 

About the International Code Council 
The International Code Council is the leading global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions. Code Council codes, standards and solutions are used to ensure safe, affordable and sustainable communities and buildings worldwide. 

Washington, D.C. – The International Code Council and the Tiny Home Industry Association (THIA) will collaborate to update the existing provisions on tiny houses contained in the International Residential Code® (IRC), Appendix AQ through the standards development process. The content of ICC/THIA Standard 1215: Design, Construction, Inspection and Regulation of Tiny Houses for Permanent Occupancy will continue to cover tiny houses used for permanent occupancy on a foundation or on wheels as addressed in the IRC. The standard will be developed through the Code Council’s ANSI-consensus procedures, requiring essential engagement from all industry stakeholders and allowing for an in-depth examination of technical or emerging issues.

ICC/THIA Standard 1215 will be based on existing requirements contained in the 2021 International Residential Code® (IRC), including Appendix AQ and ICC/MBI Standards 1205 and 1200 where applicable, and will continue to be published in the IRC as Appendix AQ, as well as a standalone resource. As a standard, the criteria outlined in these documents will be more readily adoptable internationally and in jurisdictions that do not use the IRC as its base code. The Code Council has submitted a Project Initiation Notification System (PINS) notice to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for the development of an American National Standard.

The standard complements the work of ASTM’s recently established E06.26 Subcommittee on Tiny Houses by combining existing criteria for tiny houses used for permanent occupancy into a single, referenceable location. Ryan Colker, Code Council Vice President of Innovation, David Tompos, President of ICC-NTA, and Brad Wiseman, CEO and Board Chairman of THIA, are members of this ASTM subcommittee and will work alongside other members to ensure that the Code Council and ASTM efforts avoid overlap and complement each other, in addition to providing consistency and clarity for tiny house builders, code officials and municipalities on corresponding codes and standards.

“This new standard will codify existing requirements for the design, construction, inspection and certification of tiny houses into a single standard while also helping to address identified gaps in available requirements,” said Colker.

“This joint effort with the Code Council will go a long way in helping to clear the confusion within the regulatory and tiny home builder community,” said Wiseman.

Understanding the need for requirements specific to tiny houses, the Code Council first introduced Appendix AQ, previously called Appendix Q, into the 2018 IRC. This appendix was the first set of building standards for dwellings ever incorporated into a model code.

ICC/THIA Standard 1215 will complement existing tiny house resources developed by the Code Council, including the International Tiny House Provisions, Model Legislation on Tiny Houses, and a Guide on Navigating Certification and Regulation of Tiny Houses. All of these are available on the Code Council’s dedicated off-site construction webpage.

###

About the International Code Council
The International Code Council is the leading global source of model codes and standards and building safety solutions. Code Council codes, standards and solutions are used to ensure safe, affordable and sustainable communities and buildings worldwide.

About the Tiny Home Industry Association
The Tiny Home Industry Association is a nonprofit trade organization on a mission to advocate for regulation changes, develop industry best practices and construction standards, all to increase widespread use of tiny homes as permissible and permanent housing.