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Mich ., fresh in everyone ’ s minds , many water systems are proceeding cautiously on these regulatory requirements .
Many AWWA committee members and industry groups have been working to better understand how the LCRR will affect their stakeholders , in particular clarifying the sometimes-confusing language . AWWA openly shares this information with its members through fostered discussions like committee meetings , presentations , conference proceedings , webinars , articles , and online courses . The efforts to share LCRR knowledge and understanding have fostered a community of individuals with a common goal of working together to understand and comply with the revisions as well as share what they have learned with others . Whether the LCRR has kept us on our toes or up at night , at least we have not been alone .
Copper-in-Water Subcommittee Relative to other hot topics , problems related to copper corrosion seem to be mostly overlooked , making it more challenging to identify and address the issues . Although the basics of copper corrosion are relatively well understood , questions and confusion on water-sampling site selection and protocol are still raised by many stakeholders . Particularly in large buildings , it is puzzling as to which of the many water outlets best represents the highest copper levels .
Some communities still struggle to identify effective measures to address problems with high copper levels and pitting corrosion . There is also a lack of case studies and data to guide utilities and other stakeholders . Copper problems may be compounded by the fact that the LCRR has shifted focus to sampling homes with lead service lines . Copper and lead have different corrosion mechanisms , so changes in treatment or source water could have unintended consequences regarding copper corrosion problems .
The water industry needs to provide better guidance for stakeholders to address copper issues when their systems undergo water quality changes . Our desire to bridge this gap brought a group together that includes plumbing design engineers , scientists , and academics . As AWWA volunteers , we work to improve how water professionals understand plumbing design and codes , water chemistry and treatment , and the nature and mechanisms of copper corrosion . To communicate our findings as broadly as possible , we have published articles in AWWA and external publications . The Copper-in-Water Subcommittee will continue to narrow any knowledge gaps and respond to questions concerning the control of copper in drinking water .
Building Disinfection Subcommittee Narrowing knowledge gaps is a common theme among the Premise Plumbing Committee ’ s subcommittees , and it applies to the Building Disinfection Subcommittee as well . Plumbing code requires that new or renovated ( i . e ., repaired ) building water systems must be flushed and disinfected before they can be legally occupied . Although the International Plumbing Code and Uniform Plumbing Code provide general requirements for flushing and disinfection , they lack detailed protocols for how to perform and validate these procedures .
To meet code , plumbing design engineers currently cite AWWA
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