Minnesota Adopts Provisions of 2018 Uniform Plumbing Code

The state of Minnesota has formally adopted the 2018 edition of IAPMO’s Uniform Plumbing Code, with state-specific amendments, to form the 2020 Minnesota Plumbing Code. It is available for purchase from the IAPMO Online Store at https://iapmomembership.org/store/2020-minnesota-plumbing-code/1126/. As Chapter 4714 of the Minnesota State Building Code, it will be enforced as law effective Dec. 17.

Some of the key updates to the Minnesota Plumbing Code include:

• New sound transmission provisions for plumbing piping systems. New provisions for trenching excavation and backfill, rehabilitation of piping systems and Schedule 40 PVC and ABS DWV and storm pipe expansion table (Chapter 3)
• New product standards for plumbing fixtures such as wall hung fixtures, waste fittings, lavatories, showers, bathtubs and whirlpool bathtubs, flushometer valves, sinks and eyewash stations; and signage for single-use toilet facilities (Chapter 4)
• New backflow protection provisions for chemical dispensers, new material provisions for pipes, tubes, fittings and joint methods for water supply and distribution, piping insulation and new pressure testing for the hot- and cold-water supply system (Chapter 6)
• New material requirements for drain, waste, vent pipe and fittings (Chapter 7)
• New provisions for condensate waste and control (Chapter 8)
• Circuit venting (Chapter 9)
• Methods of testing storm drainage systems (Chapter 11)
• Updated ASSE Series 5000 testing procedures
• Appendix I — Installation standard for PEX tubing systems for hot- and cold-water distribution
• New Useful Tables

Also new to the UPC in 2018 is Appendix M, Water Demand Calculator (https://www.iapmo.org/water-demand-calculator/), representing the first major update to plumbing sizing requirements since the 1940s and giving plumbing professionals the opportunity to see firsthand how IAPMO is committed to developing new provisions toward improving water quality and safety, reducing construction costs and saving consumers energy, water and money. The Water Demand Calculator predicts peak water demand for single- and multi-family dwellings when water-efficient fixtures are installed. An independent study found notable cost savings when applied to residential structures.