TRENTON, NJ — New Jersey has adopted the 2024 New Jersey Edition of the National Standard Plumbing Code (NSPC) as the state’s plumbing code, giving contractors and code officials an updated set of requirements covering plumbing materials, fixtures, equipment and system installation.

The New Jersey Division of Codes and Standards, part of the state’s Department of Community Affairs, adopted the 2024 NSPC with state-specific amendments on Aug. 17.

The 2024 NSPC Illustrated New Jersey edition includes updated requirements for plumbing systems along with provisions intended to promote sustainable plumbing practices. The illustrated format presents comments and illustrations as supplemental information, providing contractors, inspectors and other industry professionals with a practical reference and training resource.

Revised Venting And Fixture Requirements Affect Contractors

Among the changes in the 2024 NSPC Illustrated New Jersey edition are new provisions for all-gender toilet facilities and adult changing stations, along with updated standards for water closet compartments and urinal partitions.

The edition also introduces new flow rates for pre-rinse spray valves and completely revises wet venting provisions. Air admittance valves have been moved to Chapter 12, while Chapter 18 has been updated with revised standards.

Other changes include updates to Appendix G, which addresses safe and efficient water use in residential and non-residential buildings. The appendix incorporates revised excerpts from the 2020 Water Efficiency and Sanitation Standard (WE•Stand®) and includes IAPMO’s Water Demand Calculator as a sizing option.

Water-Demand Sizing Adds Another Design Option

The inclusion of the Water Demand Calculator in Appendix G gives plumbing professionals another option for sizing water distribution systems under the applicable provisions of the code.

The updated water-efficiency provisions also reflect the growing emphasis on reducing water consumption while maintaining properly designed and installed plumbing systems.

“IAPMO is honored that New Jersey will continue to be served by our National Standard Plumbing Code,” IAPMO CEO Dave Viola said. “The NSPC has protected the health and safety of New Jersey's communities since 1977, and this 2024 edition brings the latest advances in affordability, sustainability, and modern materials to the state's plumbing systems. We remain committed to supporting New Jersey’s code officials and industry professionals with the resources and training they need to put this code into practice.”

Code Developed With Contractor And Industry Input

Designed to ensure the proper installation of plumbing systems, the NSPC provides local and state governments, code administrative bodies and the plumbing industry with a modern code intended to protect public health, safety and welfare.

The NSPC Committee includes licensed contractors, engineers, inspectors and manufacturers. The committee reviews the code annually and updates it on a three-year cycle to keep the requirements current and incorporate input from interested parties.

IAPMO thanked the following organizations for their support: 

Mechanical Contractors Association of New Jersey, New Jersey Association of Plumbing-Heating and Cooling Contractors, New Jersey Chapter American Society of Plumbing Engineers, New Jersey State League of Master Plumbers, New Jersey State Plumbing Inspectors Association, South Jersey Mechanical Contractors Association, United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 9, United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 24, United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 322, and the New Jersey Association of Pipe Trades.

First published in 1973, the NSPC has been used in New Jersey since 1977 and is intended to provide a practical framework for plumbing system installation while incorporating advances in materials, technology and plumbing design.

New Edition Provides Training And Field Reference

The illustrated format is also intended to help plumbing professionals understand and apply the updated requirements. Industry stakeholders involved in the code’s development and adoption emphasized its practical value for contractors, inspectors and the next generation of plumbing professionals.

“The strength of the National Standard Plumbing Code is the people behind it. For more than 50 years, experienced plumbing engineers, contractors, inspectors, labor representatives, manufacturers, and other industry professionals have worked together to develop and continually improve a code that protects the health and safety of New Jersey residents. Their broad, hands-on expertise makes the NSPC a fair, balanced, practical, and innovative model plumbing code that reflects advances in technology while remaining easy to understand and apply," said Thomas Pitcherello, New Jersey Department of Community Affairs, Code Assistance Unit (retired), chairman of NSPC Committee

“This milestone reflects a fantastic collaborative effort between state leadership and industry stakeholders. I want to extend my sincerethanks to Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Jacquelyn Suárez and Gov. Mikie Sherrill for enacting the 2024 NSPC, an adoption that will equip New Jersey’s plumbing contractors and code officials with the modern, illustrated standards needed to build a safer, more resilient state," said John C. Bennett, Plumbing Instructor UA Local 9 Plumbers & Pipefitters Training Center, Englishtown, New Jersey

“The National Standard Plumbing Code has protected the health and safety of New Jersey residents for nearly 50 years, and the 2024 edition continues that tradition by incorporating the latest materials, technologies, water- and energy-saving practices, and advances in plumbing design," said Saeed Warden, Construction Official, Plumbing Sub-Code Official, Plainfield, New Jersey

“For decades plumbing engineers, designers and contractors have relied on the technical information in the National Standard Plumbing Code; it has guided them in providing valuable designs for building owners while protecting the environmental and public health," said Luis Rodriguez, CPD, LEED AP, Senior Partner, KSI Consulting Engineers, LLC

“The National Standard Plumbing Code has long been an important part of New Jersey’s plumbing industry, providing contractors with a practical and reliable standard that supports quality workmanship and protects the health and safety of the public. As the association representing plumbing professionals across New Jersey, NJPHCC is proud to support a code developed with meaningful input from the people who work in our industry every day. Continued adoption of the NSPC also gives us consistency in how we educate and train the next generation of plumbing professionals, helping ensure New Jersey maintains a highly skilled workforce for years to come," said Nicole Urizzo, Executive Director, New Jersey Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (NJPHCC)

“Developed by a balanced committee of plumbing engineers, inspectors, contractors, labor, manufacturers, and other industry professionals, the NSPC brings together the expertise needed to create a practical, innovative, and comprehensive plumbing code. It is a code that is easy to understand and apply, while maintaining a strong focus on public health, safety, efficiency, and value for consumers," said Vincent Tinervia, owner, Tinervia Plumbing and Heating.