The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) recently completed Technical Committee Meetings toward the development of the 2027 editions of the Uniform Plumbing Code (UPC) and Uniform Mechanical Code (UMC), which will update the 2024 UPC and UMC, American National Standards governing the installation and maintenance of plumbing and mechanical systems nationwide.

During the May 5-10 meetings, the committees acted on 689 proposed amendments to the 2027 editions of the Uniform Codes.

The UPC committee acted on 371 proposals and generated one committee proposal. Topics generating the most debate included cured in place piping (CIPP); Legionella growth in plumbing systems; drinking fountains and sanitary yard hydrants; temperature limiting devices for fixtures; adult changing stations; heat pump water heaters; fixture flow rates; hot water in healthcare facilities; hydrogen systems; disinfection of potable water systems; termination point of discharge piping serving temperature and pressure relief valves; drinking water treatment units; piping insulation; direct potable water reuse; and all-gender toilet facilities.

The UMC committee acted on 316 proposals and generated one committee proposal. Topics generating the most debate included exhaust ventilation for parking garages; ventilation and indoor air quality of dwelling units in residential occupancies; termination of exhaust ducts; commercial cooking appliances; duct leakage testing; materials used for ducts systems; materials exposed within ducts and plenums; air dispersion systems; vibration isolation connectors; duct insulation; air source heat pump water heaters; refrigerant detectors; multilayer composite piping, tubing, and fittings in refrigerating systems and gas piping systems; termination point of discharge piping serving temperature and pressure relief valves; hydrogen systems; and Legionella growth in building mechanical systems.

Due to compelling discussions on the topics listed above, both the UPC and UMC technical committees requested that new task groups be formed. The Code Change Review Task Group will review all proposals submitted and develop recommendations in the form of public comments. The Heat Pump Water Heater Task Group will review UPC Item #075 and UMC Item #162 to address the proper installation of heat pump water heaters.

The UPC Technical Committee requested two additional new task groups be formed to address provisions for CIPP and for water heaters. The Cured-in-Place Piping Task Group will review submitted proposals relating to cured in place piping. The Water Heater Task Group will review submitted proposals relating to first-hour rating and sizing parameters for different water heater types.

The task groups’ recommendations will be forwarded to the UPC and UMC technical committees in the form of public comments, respectively, for consideration. A call for participation on these task groups will be published soon.

In accordance with IAPMO’s American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-accredited consensus development process, balloting through the UPC and UMC technical committees will begin on May 31 and conclude on June 28. The Report on Proposals (ROP) will be created from these balloted actions and distributed to committee members on Aug. 9.

All suggested code amendments/additions/deletions published in the ROP will be available for public review on Aug. 9. Eligible IAPMO members in attendance during the UPC and UMC Assembly Consideration Session will have the opportunity to vote on an Assembly Comment. This session will take place at IAPMO’s 95^th annual Education and Business Conference, Sept. 24, in Las Vegas.