The Plumbing
Efficiency Research Coalition (PERC) was founded in 2009 to develop research
projects that will support the development of water efficiency and sustainable
plumbing products, systems and practices. The coalition is comprised of five
industry organizations: Alliance
for Water Efficiency, International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical
Officials, International Code Council, Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
Association, and Plumbing Manufacturers Institute.
PERC’s
inaugural research study will explore drainline transport efficacy. Special
consideration will be given to the impact of high-efficiency toilets, which
reduce water consumption volume to 1.28 gallons per flush.
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| Office buildings and other commercial
facilities are increasingly installing dual-flush Flushometers, such as this
electronic model from Sloan Valve Co., because they immediately reduce public
restroom water usage. |
|
Some plumbing experts are
concerned that we are at, or are approaching, a “tipping point” where a
significant number of sanitary waste systems will be affected by drainline
transport problems, especially in larger commercial systems that have long
horizontal runs to the sewer.
Looking forward,
newer technologies such as non-water consuming and high-efficiency urinals,
lower flow-rate faucets, and increasingly efficient water-consuming appliances
will further reduce the amount of water discharged into sanitary waste systems.
Greywater reuse systems, which collect discharged water usually for irrigation
purposes, is another emerging technology that significantly reduces wastewater
in sanitary drainage systems.
An extensive
research project of sufficient scope to determine if significant problems could
arise regarding drainline transport has yet to be conducted. PERC’s research is expected to provide a better
understanding of these integrated issues through computer modeling, laboratory
testing and field testing.
Toward this goal, PERC representatives have developed Request for
Qualification documents for each project element to solicit comments and proposals
needed to properly budget the project. The PERC technical committee has
contacted the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) regarding the
coalition’s field study element. A Statement of Interest proposal was submitted
by PERC for NAVFAC to gain approval to participate in the study in 2010.
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| Speakman's S-2005-HB has been a fixture of the hospitality market for many years and is now available at a 2.0 GPM flow rate. |
|
Discussions also
took place with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Research
and Development and with the Congressional Research Services (CRS) to explain
the project and seek funding. CRS issued a memo to the Senate Energy Committee
detailing the need to address plumbing infrastructure concerns associated with
emerging water-conservation provisions and specifically cited the research
proposed by PERC as a way to “more rigorously examine some of these potential
impacts.”
More recently,
the PERC technical committee has become aware of emerging plumbing technologies
that have the potential to provide low-cost solutions where drainline transport
problems associated with reduced flows in building drains arise. As a first
order of business in 2010, the PERC technical committee will consider revising
its Scope of Work document to evaluate these potential solutions. This may
result in considerably reducing the cost of the study.
Funding for the
program has not yet been obtained. The PERC associations will continue to work
together in 2010 to identify sources of funding to support this important
project. Updates and future research results will be shared at
www.safeplumbing.org.
By: saveH20
Posted: March 14, 2010 12:56 PM
By: Jan
Posted: March 23, 2010 6:42 PM