CHICAGO — The American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) and the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association have signed an agreement to jointly develop and publish an ARCSA/ASPE consensus standard for rainwater catchment systems. Both organizations have informally worked together in the past to publish standards, and the signing of this agreement at the recent ASPE Central Indiana Chapter meeting formalizes a relationship that will continue to grow and provide significant benefits to other organizations, the plumbing community and the consumer.
ASPE President Jim Kendzel, MPH, CAE, and ARCSA Code Committee Chair and Past President Bob Boulware, PE, sign an agreement to develop a joint ARCSA/ASPE rainwater catchment systems standard at the September 2011 ASPE Central Indiana Chapter meeting.
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ASPE President William F. Hughes Jr., CPD, LEED AP, FASPE, said, “ASPE is very proud to be associated with ARCSA in this critical initiative that will positively impact the growing concern related to water supply and usage.”
ARCSA representatives served on the original committee that developed the ASPE standard on rainwater catchment systems, which will be combined with the current ARCSA standard into one document that will go through ASPE’s consensus standards process for final approval as an ARCSA/ASPE Standard. The final published document will be titled ARCSA/ASPE Rainwater Catchment Systems Design and Installation Standard No. 63.
“ASPE continues to lead the industry by establishing, for the first time, a national document that will set forth design procedures for an alternative water source that can be used for parts of the country experiencing water shortages and water quality issues,” said Boulware. “Rainwater catchment systems are an important alternate source of water, and having in place quality design standards is critical for ensuring adequate public health protection.”
Boulware continues, “Local, state, and national code representatives are looking for specific direction and guidance related to quality system design. Combining our two documents into one national consensus standard will provide a great asset to those individuals and agencies.”
Anyone interested in participating in the ASPE standards development process may contact Gretchen Pienta at [email protected] for more information.
ASPE is devoted to the training and certification of plumbing engineers and designers. ASPE and its 6,200 worldwide members are dedicated to protecting the health, welfare, and safety of the public through the dissemination of technical data and information to expand the base of knowledge among plumbing engineers, designers, contractors, code officials, inspectors, and manufacturers.
The American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that was founded in 1994 by Dr. Hari J. Krishna in Austin, Texas, to promote rainwater catchment systems in the United States. Its membership consists of professionals working in city, state, and federal governments, academia, manufacturers and suppliers of rainwater harvesting equipment, consultants, and other interested individuals.