WATER SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY Reverse Osmosis ISSUE Training, · health and wellness, and education. Inducing peer pressure in social networks has shown similar impact. Providing relevant

THE WATER DEMAND CALCULATOR LEAVES HOME

+REAL-TIME WATER DATA AND ENABLING COMPETITIONS TO SAVE WATER

AWG INNOVATORS TAP INFINITELY RENEWABLE CLEAN WATER SOURCE

APRIL - JUNE 2019

WATER SYSTEMSReverse Osmosis Water Efficiency PRO DEVELOPMENT Training, Legionella

PRODUCT STANDARDS Vacuum Toilets and Galley Waste Disposal on Aircraft

TECHNOLOGY ISSUE

2 WORKINGPRESSUREMAG.COM APRIL – JUNE 2020

look for the seal.

“Has this product been tested, reviewed, and accepted by ASSE International?”

Easy answer:

Search the directory of ASSE Certified products at www.asse-plumbing.org/listed

ASSE Internationallook for the seal | www.asse-plumbing.org |

APRIL – JUNE 2020 WORKINGPRESSUREMAG.COM 3

18

CONTENTS APRIL - JUNE 2020

FEATURES REGULARS

14 THE WATER DEMAND CALCULATOR LEAVES HOME

In 2011, the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) and the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE), in collaboration with the Water Quality Research Foundation (WQRF), convened a task group to review methods for estimating peak demands in buildings fitted with water-conserving plumbing fixtures. The task group was charged with bringing Hunter’s curve into the 21st century.

BY STEVEN BUCHBERGER, PHD, PE

18 REAL-TIME WATER DATA AND ENABLING

COMPETITIONS TO SAVE WATER Are there ways to drive large-scale behavior change in water consumption using real-time water data? For example, to reduce water consumption or to reduce hot water consumption (and the associated energy savings). Competitions (or gamification) have been used to change population-level behavior in many areas such as consumer engagement, health and wellness, and education.

BY NINA KSHETRY, PE

20 AWG INNOVATORS TAP INFINITELY RENEWABLE

CLEAN WATER SOURCE Water from the air. We see it on cold glasses in the summer. We feel it when a heavy fog covers the landscape. Yet, the concept of drinking water from the air has appeared to be more of a pipe-dream than a scalable reality. An innovation by researchers at the University of California Berkeley has changed the atmospheric water generation paradigm by enabling pure water to be captured from the air inside a building and even in the desert.

BY MARY CONLEY EGGERT AND FRANK SLOVENEC

5 FROM THE ASSE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT BUSINESS AS USUAL? NOT SO MUCH.

6 PRO DEVELOPMENT TRAINING, LEGIONELLA

8 THOUGHTS ON CCC THE EVER-CHANGING BACKFLOW INDUSTRY

11 PRODUCT STANDARDS BACKFLOW AND PLUMBING AT 10,000FT.

12 WATER SYSTEMS PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR REVERSE OSMOSIS WATER EFFICIENCY

24 INDUSTRY NEWS WPC CONNECTS IWSH, PLUMBERS ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA FOR CHILDREN’S VILLAGE HAND-WASHING PROGRAM

26 REPAIR GUYS 1 INCH FEBCO 860

28 TEN QUESTIONS WITH ... JERRY SCHMITT

30 TEST PRESSURE CODES & REGULATIONS


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Sean Cleary

CONTACTPhone (708) 995-3019Email [email protected]

EDITOR / DESIGNERBen Ryan, [email protected]

DESIGNERTim denHartog, [email protected]

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ASSE INTERNATIONAL CONTACTPhone (708) 995-3019Email [email protected] @asse1906Twitter @asse_intlWebsite www.asse-plumbing.org

Working Pressure © 2020 is published quarterly by ASSE International, 18927 Hickory Creek Drive, Suite 220, Mokena, IL 60448 USA. Phone: (708) 995-3019, Email: [email protected] – All rights reserved. Permission to use or reprint material may be granted to responsible parties through written request. Photocopying for internal use, general distribution, educational purposes, advertising purposes, creating new collective works, or resell is expressly prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Working Pressure is distributed in print to ASSE International members and online to the public and ASSE-certified professionals. All requests or correspondence should be mailed to the publisher at 18927 Hickory Creek Drive, Suite 220, Mokena, IL 60448, or [email protected]. Postage paid in Cleveland, Ohio. Working Pressure is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, art, or photographs unless accompanied by sufficient return postage. For questions regarding submissions of artwork or photography, contact [email protected]. Statements of fact, material, and opinion contained in advertisements and contributed articles in Working Pressure are solely the responsibility of the authors and advertisers. They do not imply an opinion or official position by the officers, staff or members of ASSE International or the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO). Change of address corrections should be sent with an old address label to: Working Pressure Subscription Department, 4755 E. Philadelphia St., Ontario, CA 91761. Changes may be sent via e-mail to: [email protected].

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Working Pressure Subscription Department4755 E. Philadelphia St., Ontario, CA 91761

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Vice PresidentJason Shank

Not Pictured:Christopher White, PhD

Region 2Vincent Gallo IV

Region 4Donald R. Summers, Jr.

TreasurerDouglas Marian

Immediate Past PresidentDana A.Colombo

Region 3 Debbie Vukovich

Region 5 Joseph Fernandez, Jr.

Region 1 Chris Cheek

Region 7Gregory Beck

Manufacturers’ RepresentativeTom Lentine, P.E.

Region 8Daniel Rademacher

JaniceMcNellis

TomPalkon

MarianneWaickman


BUSINESS AS USUAL? NOT SO MUCH. M

y last article was written during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses were shutting down along with restrictions that affected our normal routines, and ASSE was faced with the reality of conducting our Mid-Year Meeting online. I want to thank all of you who

participated in the meeting – especially the ASSE International staff who worked additional hours to coordinate everything. Given the circumstances, I believe the meeting was very successful and any issues that developed were quickly resolved. It was a valuable experience, exposing us to what has now become common practice. The Board of Directors will conduct their 3rd quarter meeting online and the 2020 ASSE Annual Meeting will be held online instead of in San Diego. The dates will remain the same, Oct. 26-29, and the meetings will be open to all, free of charge. More information will be available soon.

The one “normal” that we can always rely on is change. Today, change is happening at an accelerated pace. As new information is released, theories developed, and studies conducted, changes are made quickly to compensate. What I couldn’t do yesterday, I can do today – unless I live in a certain part of the country where I still am not allowed to do it. It can be overwhelming, but if I don’t like what I hear, I find that changing my informational resource and locating one that agrees with me helps. I’m just kidding about the previous sentence, so please don’t send letters.

Our industry is accustomed to change and our product and professional qualification standards are reviewed and updated on a regular basis. The changes may occur at a slower pace, but the new technology that is developed, and all of the relevant information, is thoroughly vetted before a decision to make a change is made. We need to continue developing new, and revising existing, standards to improve our industry and achieve our end goal of "Prevention Rather Than Cure."

IAPMO/ASSE’s COVID-19 resources and free standards can be a useful resource. Please check out the link at: https://www.iapmo.org/code-standard-development/covid-19-resources.

I hope to see many of you soon. Stay safe and healthy.

FROM THE ASSE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT

ASSE INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT John Parizek


PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTTraining, Legionella

Our world has changed so much in the last few months. It feels more like a decade than a matter of four months. Fortunately, ASSE has been able to adapt to our new circumstances and move ahead with standards development, and product and professional certification. This issue of Working Pressure

magazine is all about new technology. There is advanced, new technology included in the standards we are developing and revising, but we are also seeing advances in technology that allows us to continue to certify people, despite restrictions on schools and training centers. Some schools were able to scramble to develop online classes. ASSE scrambled to get functions in place so that certification exams could be securely proctored remotely in people’s homes and offices. Most of the recent classes that have been offered online are for the ICRA (ASSE 12000) certification programs.

There has never been a greater need than now to have trained and certified individuals ready to safely work in facilities where it is imperative to protect against infection and the spread of disease. Over 100 contractors from across the country took the course to become certified to ASSE Standard 12020, Biological Pathogens Professional Qualifications Standard for Construction and Maintenance Employers. Another group of nearly 100 were trained and certified under the ASSE 12060, Water Quality Program Professional Qualifications Standard for Employers and Designated Representatives. These contractors and their employees have played a major roll in assuring that buildings are ready and safe for occupancy after prolonged shutdown.

Without technology, the training centers would not have had the ability to continue teaching in a safe environment and ASSE would not have been able to continue to certify people preparing to do the essential work needed to protect us and get our country up and running again. It is great when everything comes together, and it works.

During all this excitement, ASSE released a new standard: ASSE/IAPMO/ANSI 12080, Professional Qualifications Standard for Legionella Water Safety and Management Personnel. This standard has been in development for about a year, but the ANSI and ASSE Board approval could not have come at a better time. The publication date was April 27 – right about the time when many industry leaders began to discuss concerns with potential Legionella exposure, along with

BY MARIANNE WAICKMANASSE Professional Qualifications Director

Let’s continue to work together with our industry partners, to do all that we can to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and protect against Legionella and other harmful pathogens.

“


other waterborne pathogens, resulting from buildings being shut down for extended periods of time. This standard outlines the minimum qualifications needed to become a member of a water safety team involved in the development of a risk assessment analysis and a water management and sampling plan for protection from Legionella and other waterborne pathogens. The objective is to establish standard training, education, and certification requirements for the members of building water management teams and other interested parties to control building water systems to reduce the risk and spread of Legionella.

Once again, I refer to the ASSE International motto, “Prevention Rather than Cure." We have all spent the last four months trying to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The likelihood is that we will spend the next year or so doing the same until a vaccine is created and effectively distributed. Let’s continue to work together with our industry partners to do all that we can to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus and protect against Legionella and other harmful pathogens. You can contact me at [email protected].

MARIANNE WAICKMAN is professional qualifications director at ASSE International. Her work is primarily focused on the development of professional qualifications standards and the management of personnel certification programs. Waickman has worked for ASSE for the last 20 years. Although she has spent most of her career working in the area of cross-connection control, many of her recent projects have focused on healthcare facilities and infection control.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTPROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

FIZKES / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS


THOUGHTS ON CCCTHE EVER- CHANGING BACKFLOW INDUSTRY

The focus of this issue of Working Pressure is “New Technology." In the backflow industry, changes occur all the time. Existing product standards are revised and updated, new products are introduced, and new product standards are created. Codes are revised and updated on a three-year schedule. Anyone

working in the industry needs to stay current on standards, codes, and local regulations that may or may not be updated on a regular schedule.

As an example, let us look at the development of vacuum breakers over time. We began with atmospheric vacuum breakers (AVB) that have been in use for over one hundred years. (1) It is a simple device that provides high and low hazard protection against backsiphonage. As plumbing and mechanical systems became more complicated, it became clear that these systems needed protection that the AVB could not provide. As a result of the AVB’s limitations, the industry developed the pressure vacuum breaker (PVB). The PVB provided the same type and level of protection as the AVB, and because of the design changes, the PVB could be under continuous or constant pressure. The AVB cannot be subjected to supply pressure for more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period and, as such, was unable to function under continuous pressure or with valves downstream of the AVB. (2)

Problems with the PVB discharging water in low pressure situations resulted in the development of the spill-resistant vacuum breaker (SVB). All three vacuum breaker types – the PVB, SVB, and AVB – protect against high and low hazard backsiphonage backflow, but each has strengths or weakness that do not allow them to be used in every situation. (3)

Many upgrades to the products we use to prevent backflow are nothing short of amazing when you look at where our industry was 20 or 30 years ago. Assemblies are shorter, weigh less, contain less parts, are easier to repair and maintain, and can be installed in so many different orientations. I remember in the 1990s when we were working in existing mechanical rooms attempting to find the room to install a six- or eight-inch reduced pressure principle or a double check valve assembly as containment protection. Everything had to be installed horizontally and these flanged assembles were five to six feet long. Mechanical rooms are non-revenue generating space in a facility and tend to be as small as possible. Finding six to eight feet of horizontal pipe directly after the building water meter or before the alarm

BY SEAN CLEARYIAPMO Backflow Prevention Institute,Vice President of Operations

“Innovation and change are a fact of life in any industry and the cross-connection control industry is no exception.


check on a fire protection system was not a common occurrence. This resulted in some interesting and many times incorrect backflow assembly installations. (4)

The first N pattern valve was a life saver in many tight spaces. Looking at all the assemblies and patterns available now, it is clear we live in an ever-changing industry. Even the shut off valves on assemblies are different and progress has been made to improve the products. Years ago, almost everything 2 ½ inch and larger had flanged connections and gate valves. There were a few assemblies available with ball valves, but butterfly valves on backflow prevention assemblies did not exist. Today, we have approved assemblies which use integral butterfly valves within the valve body allowing the lay length to be even smaller. (5) Who would have believed back then that a six-inch reduced pressure principle assembly could be 28.4 inches in total lay length.

We now have threaded, flanged, press-fit, and grooved connections on assembly shutoffs. We have assemblies approved for vertical up-flow, vertical

down-flow, N-pattern, horizontal, and several other flow patterns. Several manufacturers make assembles specifically for fire hydrant use. We have alarm switches on relief valves and assemblies with solenoid valves to turn off the water supply in the case of large relief valve discharge. The industry is always innovating and looking for that better mouse trap.

Detector assemblies have also changed in recent years with the addition of the type two double check detector assemblies and type two reduced pressure principle detector assemblies. The development of these assemblies was driven by a search for both cost savings and a drive to lower pressure and friction loss. These assemblies use a single check in the bypass portion of the assembly instead of a double check or reduced pressure principle assembly. In a traditional detector assembly, the bypass piping comes off the assembly upstream of the first check of the main valve. In the type two assembly, the bypass begins downstream of the first check so although the bypass only contains a single check, it is protected by both the first check of the

THOUGHTS ON CROSS-CONNECTION CONTROL


main valve and the bypass single check providing double check protection. With the reduced pressure principle assemblies, the bypass comes off downstream of the first check and in the reduced pressure zone, so the assembly does provide high hazard protection. As a result of the single check valve, there has been some confusion among testers and water purveyors on the proper testing of the type two assemblies and also with the proper completion of test forms for these assemblies. But the industry is adapting and moving forward with the use of type two assemblies. (6)

Even the systems we install backflow prevention on are different than in the past. While the laws of physics will never change, our systems do. The expanded use of gray water and recycled water was mostly unheard of even 15 years ago in most areas of the United States. All that has changed, the use of recycled water for water closets and urinal flushing, irrigation, and fire protection is now commonplace. Rainwater catchment for potable and non-potable use is a growing part of the industry. Testers now may need multiple kits to allow them to test on both potable and non-potable assemblies.

Our test kits are also evolving over time. We have moved from water column site tubes and duplex gauges to analog test kits, to digital test kits, to digital test kits with printers, to now digital test kits with download capability. Again, the laws of physics do not change,

and all of these test kit types can and still are used with the possible exception of the duplex gauge. Which type of gauge a tester uses depends on personal preference and, in many cases, is a result of the gauge they used in their training class or the gauge type their employer has provided them with. Prices can range from several hundred dollars to thousands of dollars for the gauges with download capability. Any gauge used needs to meet minimum accuracy criteria and have its calibration checked annually at a minimum.

Innovation and change are a fact of life in any industry and the cross-connection control industry is no exception. Those of us working in the industry need to stay current with codes, regulations, and product changes. We need to embrace improvement in products and services and look at things with open eyes and open minds. As President John F. Kennedy once said, “Change is the law of life, and those who look only to the past and present are certain to miss the future.” President Kennedy was correct – we need to move forward so we don’t get left behind.

SEAN CLEARY has been a member of United Association Local 524 Scranton, Pa. for more than 35 years. He has worked in all phases of the plumbing and mechanical industry, and is a licensed master plumber. Cleary is a past president of ASSE International and past chairman of the ASSE Cross-Connection Control Technical Committee. He is employed by IAPMO as the vice president of operations for the Backflow Prevention Institute (BPI).


PRODUCT STANDARDSBackflow & Plumbing at 10,000 ft. BY CHRISTOPHER L. WHITE, PHDASSE Manager of Product Certification and Standards

ASSE International is working with the worlds largest airplane manufacturers, as well as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to develop a standard that covers backflow and plumbing requirements for toilet assemblies and galley waste disposal units installed on aircraft.

Requirements for backflow prevention on self-contained potable water systems on conveyances such as airplanes currently reside internally with government agencies. This standard will leverage existing plumbing knowledge to develop a similar set of requirements for passenger conveyances.

During the typical use of an aircraft vacuum toilet, the bowl itself is initially empty. When the toilet is flushed, a vacuum blower turns on, which pulls in water from the potable water system to rinse the bowl. At the same time, a flush valve is opened that draws the waste from the bowl into the airplane waste system. Employing a vacuum breaker is critical in preventing contamination of the potable water system.

Much like vacuum toilet assemblies, a galley waste disposal unit consists of a connection to potable water stored on the aircraft, a waste collection receptacle, a means to rinse waste collection receptacle, a means to protect the potable water supply, and a connection to the vacuum waste system. To meet the requirements of the new ASSE 1098, the potable water system protection will be required to vent to atmosphere.

This new ASSE standard will adopt relevant portions of ASSE 1001, Performance Requirements for Atmospheric Type Vacuum Breakers, IAPMO IGC 132, Vacuum Toilet Systems for Recreational Vehicles, and USPHS-302, Handbook on Sanitation of Airlines, and CSA B45.13:19/IAPMO Z1700-2019, Vacuum Waste-Collection Systems.

ASSE 1098 will provide performance criteria for vacuum toilets and galley waste disposal units designed to be integrally installed on passenger aircraft. The purpose of these devices is to provide protection of the potable water supply against pollutants and/or contaminants that enter the system due to backsiphonage through the outlet.

The performance tests in ASSE 1098 focus on several critical areas of importance. These include deterioration at extreme temperatures and pressures, backsiphonage and backflow preventions; tilt, turn, and turbulence performance, as well as hydrostatic and life cycle testing of the device. Likewise, the effects of water hammer as well as the shock cause by turbulence and/or landings will be tested.

The working group for ASSE 1098 has already met and collaborated multiple times, and the standard will continue to be refined. ASSE applauds the work done by the members of the aircraft industry, as well as the contributions of our partners at the FDA. It is hoped that ASSE 1098 will be published in the fall of 2020 and is expected to be adopted by most of the commercial airline industry and recommended by the FDA.

PRODUCT STANDARDS

CHRISTOPHER WHITE, PHD is the Manager of Product Certification and Standards for ASSE International. Dr. White has more than 20 years of experience as a science and engineering leader focused on commercializing technology-based products. He has a bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois (Champaign/Urbana) as well as a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a PhD in Materials Engineering from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He can be reached at [email protected].


WATER SYSTEMSReverse Osmosis Water Efficiency

ASSE International recently published ASSE 1086, Performance Requirements for Reverse Osmosis Water Efficiency – Drinking Water. The standard was developed in response to the increased water shortage crisis that many parts of the U.S. and world continue to experience. Reverse Osmosis (RO)

drinking water treatment is an excellent technology to reduce numerous contaminants found in drinking water. It has quickly become the water treatment technology of choice for China and India. Although RO water treatment systems reduce numerous contaminants, it comes at a cost. Traditional residential ROs are known to be one of the least efficient treatment products on the market. Traditional ROs typically send at least 3 gallons of water to the drain for every gallon produced.

ROs use a semi-permeable membrane to separate purified water from concentrated wastewater using pressure. Product modifications that manufacturers use to improve the water efficiency can cause the membrane to foul very quickly, typically in 3 to 4 weeks. Fouled membranes no longer function and must be replaced for the RO to produce purified water. Most manufacturers recommend replacing RO members at intervals of 1-3 years. Replacing a RO membrane every month would be very costly and could cause other environmental waste concerns. Based on these concerns, the ASSE 1086 standard includes testing to simulate a one-year life for the RO membrane with a minimum water efficiency of 40%.

The performance tests in ASSE 1086 focus on water efficacy and membrane fouling tests. Also, ASSE 1086 references the NSF/ANSI 58 standard for material safety, contaminant reduction, and structural integrity testing. The 1086 standard focuses on three things: 1) it requires compliance with the testing requirements of NSF/ANSI 58; 2) the system must meet a minimum efficiency rating of equal to or greater than 40%; 3) the RO membrane or system must comply with the membrane fouling test protocol that was developed to simulate a minimum one-year membrane life using an aggressive (high potential to foul) challenge water.

To ensure membranes will continue to function for at least one year, the membrane life test was created. This test simulates a year’s worth of drinking water use and the aggressive challenge water used requires a Langelier Saturation Index (LSI) of 0.7. The LSI number is an indicator of the water potential to form calcium scaling. The most common source of membrane fouling is a result of calcium scale

BY TOM PALKONIAPMO Research and Testing Executive VicePresident of Water Systems, and ASSE International Executive Director

“If consumers switch to ROs certified to ASSE 1086 we could save 4,166 gallons of water each year per RO ...


building up on the membrane surface. The 1086 life test runs for a minimum of 20 days, with a minimum volume of 1,000 gallons of permeate water produced. Assuming 40 percent efficiency, 2,500 gallons of challenge water would be processed through the RO for this test. Each day, challenge water is processed through the system for four hours, then the first sample is taken. The system is then run continuously for an additional 12 hours followed an eight-hour rest period at the end of each day. The following criteria are evaluated each day of testing.

1. The flow rate cannot decrease by more than 50% of the day-one flow rate throughout the duration of the testing. Flow rate reduction is a tool to determine membrane fouling.

2. TDS (total dissolved solids) reduction throughout the duration of testing must be at least 75%. TDS reduction is another tool used to evaluate the membrane’s performance.

3. The average recovery rating must be a minimum of 40%. One-tenth of the sample readings can be less than 40%, but the final recovery measurement must meet or exceed 40%.

WATER SYSTEMS

Several working group members plan to share the standard with local jurisdictions around the country and globally. ASSE commends the work that the RO industry has done to design new highly efficient membranes and new residential RO systems that can operate significantly more efficient. Billions of gallons of drinking water can be saved in the U.S. if consumers switch to ASSE 1086 certified efficient ROs. Assume 10 million residential ROs are in use in the U.S. with an average efficiency of 15%. For each RO to produce 1,000 gallons of drinking water each year, they will each use approximately 6,666 gallons of water. If consumers switch to ROs certified to ASSE 1086 we could save 4,166 gallons of water each year per RO – assuming 10 million residential ROs are in use today in the U.S., over 41 billion gallons of total water could be saved each year. To help prevent water shortages, we encourage ASSE Members to promote the new ASSE 1086 standard. Remember ASSE’s motto, “Prevention Rater Then Cure.”

TOM PALKON is IAPMO Research and Testing Executive VicePresident of Water Systems, and ASSE International ExecutiveDirector. He participates in many industry standard developmentactivities. Palkon has a bachelor’s degree in Biology from theUniversity of Illinois (Champaign/Urbana) and an M.B.A. from KellerUniversity. He can be reached at (708) 995-3006, [email protected] or [email protected].

SUPERSMARIO / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS



FEATURE

Instantaneous peak water demand is an important consideration when designing a new building. The peak water demand affects the scale and cost of the entire premise plumbing system, including meter size, heater capacity, pipe diameters, valves, and other related hydraulic appurtenances. Determining the peak water demand is a challenge because water use in a building is unpredictable. The

diurnal pattern of water use never repeats exactly and, as a consequence, the magnitude of the peak demand varies randomly from day to day.

This problem was first investigated nearly 100 years ago by Dr. Roy Hunter, a research physicist at the National Bureau of Standards. Recognizing that water use is a random process, Hunter applied probability principles to predict peak water demand based on the total number of fixtures in a building and on the flow drawn when a fixture is operated. Hunter’s crowning achievement was development of a design graph, known as “Hunter’s Curve,” giving the 99th percentile water demand versus total fixture units for any combination of indoor end uses (Hunter 1940). Hunter did not attempt to predict the absolute maximum possible water demand. Instead, he defined a threshold for design such that there is only a 1% chance that the actual peak period demand will exceed the load estimated from his curve.

Hunter’s iconic curve is a stunning blend of theoretical rigor and practical simplicity. It quickly became the basis for plumbing codes in the United States and across the globe (Buchberger et al, 2012). Hunter’s work established the standard for satisfactory service of building water supply systems. The problem, however, is that Hunter’s curve is frozen in time. It is a snapshot of peak water use in 1940.

In recent years, a growing consensus has emerged among practicing engineers that Hunter’s curve leads to overdesign of the premise plumbing system in new buildings. There are a couple reasons for this. First, Hunter’s assumption of congested service (i.e., users que at fixtures) often does not hold.

THE WATER DEMAND CALCULATOR LEAVES HOMEBY STEVEN BUCHBERGER, PHD, PE, PROFESSOR OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING, UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI


Second, flow rates based on plumbing fixtures from the 1930s do not apply to the new generation of water-conserving fixtures, especially those imposed by passage of the 1992 Energy Policy Act and other green plumbing codes.

There have been many attempts to salvage Hunter’s curve by tweaking fixture-unit values for contemporary end use applications. Often these modifications stemmed from engineering judgment rather than observable data. These ad hoc adjustments frequently resulted in discrepancies among fixture-unit values posted in various plumbing codes (Cole 2012).

In 2011, the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) and the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE) in collaboration with the Water Quality Research Foundation (WQRF) convened a task group to review methods for estimating peak demands in buildings fitted with water-conserving plumbing fixtures. Researchers from the University of Cincinnati also joined the team.

The task group acquired a large database of high resolution indoor water use measurements taken between 1996 and 2011 at nearly 1,100 single-family homes in 62 cities across the United States. Because the dataset provided statistics for

residential end use only, the scope of work was narrowed to single and multi-family residential dwellings. Residential indoor fixtures considered in the database were bathtubs, showers, dishwashers, clothes washers, faucets, and toilets.

The task group was charged with developing a probability model to predict the peak water demand for single and multi-family dwellings having water-conserving plumbing fixtures. In other words, the goal was to bring Hunter’s curve into the 21st century. Not surprisingly, analysis of the modern residential database led to several significant changes in the parameters of the binomial probability model that underpins Hunter’s method. Most notably, for tank toilets, the peak hour probability of fixture use dropped from 20% to 1% and the fixture flow rate decreased from 4 to 3 GPM (Omaghomi et al 2020). A complete listing of all recalibrated parameter values for water-conserving residential fixtures is available in the summary report (Buchberger et al 2017).

Rather than create a new design curve that essentially would be a snapshot of peak water use in 2020, the task group opted to employ a digital-age resource. Keeping with the spirit of Hunter’s probabilistic approach, a set of three algorithms was coded into a user-friendly excel spreadsheet called the


FEATURE

REFERENCES

Buchberger, S.G., E.M.J. Blokker, D.P. Cole (2012) “Estimating Peak Water Demands in Hydraulic Systems I – Current Practice”, in Proc of WDSA2012 Symposium, Adelaide, South Australia, Sept 24-27, 2012.

Buchberger, S.G., T. Omaghomi, T. Wolfe, J. Hewitt, D.P. Cole (2017) “Peak Water Demand Study - Probability Estimates for Efficient Fixtures in Single and Multi-Family Residential Buildings”, Executive Summary, IAPMO, Chicago, IL

Cole, D.P. (2012) “Determining fixture units for high efficiency fixtures,” IAPMO.

Hunter, R. B. (1940). "Methods of Estimating Loads on Plumbing Systems." Rep. No. BMS65, US National Bureau of Standards, Washington DC.

IAPMO (2018). "Uniform Plumbing Code." IAPMO, Ontario, CA, Volume 1.

Omaghomi, T., S.G. Buchberger, D. Cole, J. Hewitt, and T. Wolfe, (2020) “Probability of Water Fixture Use during Peak Hour in Residential Buildings”, ASCE J. Water Resources Planning and Management, 146(5). DOI: 10.1061/(ASCE)WR.1943-5452.001207.

Persily, A., D. Yashar, N.M. Ferretti, T. Ullah, W. Healy (2020) “Measurement Science Research Needs for Premise Plumbing Systems”, NIST Technical Note 2088, U.S. Department of Commerce, https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2088.

Wistort, R. A. (1994). "A new look at determining water demands in building: ASPE direct analytic method." Technical Proceedings; ASPE 1994 Convention, American Society of Plumbing Engineers, Kansas City, MO, 17-34.

Water Demand Calculator (WDC). The user simply provides the itemized fixture count for their residential building. Then, armed with information about the probability of fixture use and flow of an operating fixture (the p and q values, respectively), the WDC computes the 99th percentile of the peak period water demand. The WDC program is available at no charge from the IAPMO website (www.iapmo.org/water-demand-calculator). Figure 1 shows the WDC input template and computed results for a multi-family building with 10 apartments.

For single family homes, where the total fixture count is generally under 30, the WDC uses exhaustive enumeration (ExEn) to delineate all possible water use combinations. While offering an exact solution, ExEn carries a high computational burden. For instance, in a home with 15 fixtures, ExEn involves 215 = 32,768 calculations. For large residential buildings with hundreds of fixtures, ExEn is intractable. In this case, the WDC estimates the 99th percentile of the water demand using the normal approximation to the Poisson-binomial distribution, as first proposed by ASPE engineer Robert Wistort (1994). In the region between these household extremes, the WDC uses a new modified Wistort method to predict peak demands during the transition from single family homes to large residential buildings.

Extensive beta testing of the WDC at several residential locations across the United States and Australia has yielded very reasonable results. Based on this encouraging performance, the WDC has been incorporated into the Uniform Plumbing Code (IAPMO 2018). Next year with the release of the fourth edition of AWWA’s M22 Manual of Water Supply Practice, the WDC will be endorsed as the preferred method for estimating peak water demands in all residential buildings.

Like Hunter’s seminal work from 1940, the theoretical basis for the WDC has a rock solid foundation. With proof of concept clearly demonstrated, the WDC is now poised to leave home and serve as a design aid for estimating peak demands in non-residential buildings. To punch this ticket, one major hurdle remains: we must assemble and analyze a national database of water use measurements from buildings in the non-residential sector, as outlined in the recent NIST report on research needs for premise plumbing systems (Persily et al., 2020). This final step is essential to estimate values for the probability of fixture use, the elusive p-values that lie at the heart of Hunter’s curve and the WDC.

STEVEN G. BUCHBERGER is a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Cincinnati. His research deals with urban water resources and hydrology with recent emphasis on estimating peak water demands in buildings including development of the Water Demand Calculator. Since joining the UC faculty in 1988, Steve has advised 65 graduate students, authored over 130 archived publications and directed $11 million in research projects. Three of his students have won national best paper awards from the American Society of Civil Engineers. Steve earned his PhD in Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin and is a Registered Professional Engineer in the State of Colorado.

18

REAL-TIME WATER DATA & ENABLING COMPETITIONS

TO SAVE WATER

Are there ways to drive large-scale behavior change in water consumption using real-time water data? For example, to reduce water consumption or to reduce hot water consumption (and the associated energy savings). Competitions (or gamification) have been used to change

population-level behavior in many areas, such as consumer engagement, health and wellness, and education. Inducing peer pressure in social networks has shown similar impact. Providing relevant real-time, or near real-time, behavioral data to consumers is needed to support competitions on social networks with behavioral change objectives and can even be enough, in and of itself, to drive change.

Within the power sector, we’ve seen a range of transformations in the past decade that have created a wealth of data on electricity consumption and usage habits. Electric utilities would have deployed more than an estimated 100 million smart electric meters by the end of this year providing real-time energy usage data. Consumer products such as the Nest learning thermostats use machine learning and artificial intelligence to learn consumer preferences for space heating and cooling, leading to optimal energy usage and savings. Similar transformations are underway in the water sector. Many water utilities have upgraded, or are planning to upgrade, their fleet of water meters to advanced metering technology within the coming decade, giving them access to real-time water usage data at the household level for the first time. Additionally, in the past few years, a range of smart water meters for residential consumers have entered the market, such as Flo by Moen and Phyn, giving consumers the ability to understand their water usage patterns in real-time down to the fixture level.

There are many practical benefits of this kind of real-time water monitoring infrastructure when it comes to sustainability, one of which is leak detection and the reduction of water losses as a result of leaks, both within utility water distribution lines and within residential households. According to the Water Research Foundation’s 2016 Residential End Uses of Water Report, 17 gallons per household per day are lost due to leaks, representing 13 percent of indoor residential water consumption. Similarly, by some estimates, water utilities are losing over 2 trillion gallons of water a year as non-revenue water,

BY NINA KSHETRY, PE, President, Enaras, Inc.

TORWAI / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS


FEATURE

water that is lost prior to the meter, which includes losses from leaks due aging infrastructure. Identifying and preventing water leaks is one of the major drivers in the increased adoption of smart water metering technologies both at water utilities and residences. With smart water metering becoming more common, there is an increasing availability of real-time water consumption data.

With water data becoming available through these emerging technologies, we are now approaching a tipping point where water-focused competitions and peer-pressure social networks to drive behavioral changes in water savings are becoming a reality. Using competitions and gamification tools have been successfully implemented and demonstrated in other areas of resource conservation in the environmental field. It is important to note that without the use of such tools, people must be motivated to change their habits and behavior through other drivers, such as solely for the sake of advancing the greater good or for economic motivations such as cost savings. In most parts of the country, the price of water remains low, making behavioral change to achieve cost savings unlikely. Adjusting personal behavior to achieve environmental conservation goals for the greater good is a strategy that has historically failed – a phenomenon known as the tragedy of the commons. Competitions centered around water savings and conservation could be used to motivate people to change their consumption patterns and habits who otherwise may not be motivated to do so. For example, electricity competitions have been shown to reduce consumption by more than 25%, even engaging those that lack prior intrinsic motivation.

If competitions can lead to water savings outcomes, what would such a competition or game actually look like? How should it be designed and implemented? What are the common threads of designing successful competitors to achieve behavior change? Such a competition could take many shapes and forms, but one important factor would be the creation of specific and challenging (yet achievable) goals. In goal-setting theory, a well-established theory of motivation in psychology, people are most successful at changing behavior when goals are specific and challenging. One such goal might

be setting targets for reducing the length of time a person takes a shower, or a total household consumption goal which can be achieved by implementing a combination of water savings strategies from installing more efficient appliances and fixtures to changing usage habits. Furthermore, when entire social groups are pursuing the same specific goals, this behavioral momentum is strengthened by social comparison. For example, when an entire household, neighborhood, or other social network works towards the same goal, and the achievements of participants are made available to other participants in the form of leaderboards, the intrinsic motivation to change behavior is greater than if the individual was working to meet the goal in isolation. The backbone for creating these types of competitions is hyperlocal and real-time water usage data, which provides feedback for the game participants to know what they have achieved in relation to what others have achieved, and how much better they can do by climbing up in ranks in the leaderboard.

As we continue towards a world where real-time water consumption data is more readily available and more hyperlocal, the opportunities to use competitions and games to drive behavior change and water saving will only increase. We are at the beginnings of starting to deploy competitions as a tool for conservation in the water sector, but work done in other sectors indicates that positive outcomes can be achieved using this strategy. Indeed, smart water metering customer engagement platforms are being developed with water usage metrics and water saving goals/tips, and water fixtures are being developed with real-time feedback to help users reduce usage. Competitions and games may find particular traction in the water conservation field, where cost savings or other motivations have previously failed.

NINA KSHETRY is founder and president of Ensaras, Inc., a company specializing in advanced analytics and artificial intelligence solutions for optimizing wastewater plant operations. Kshetry has over 15 years of wastewater treatment and engineering experience. She also served as the first Water Director at Moen, Inc., the largest residential plumbing fixture manufacturer in North America. She received her S.B. and S.M. degrees in environmental engineering, both from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and is a licensed professional engineer. She has a passion for advancing technology to help secure water for current and future generations. She can be reached at [email protected].

Rank Household Hot Water Use (GPD)1 Garcia 102 Robinson 153 Chang 204 Smith 225 Patel 257 King 30


AWG INNOVATORS TAP INFINITELY

RENEWABLE CLEAN WATER SOURCE

BY MARY CONLEY EGGERTCHIEF INNOVATION OFFICERGLOBALWATERWORKS

FRANK SLOVENECVICE PRESIDENT, STRATEGYWATER HARVESTING, INC.


“If we served 50 liters to all 7 billion people on the planet, we would consume just 0.002% of the water in the atmosphere.

- Atmoswater Research

Water from the air.

We see it on cold glasses in the summer. We feel it when a heavy fog covers the landscape. Yet, the concept of drinking water from the air has appeared to be

more of a pipe-dream than a scalable reality.High energy costs, the noise of fans

required to process sufficient water, and concerns as to what other particulates and bacteria may be collected in large-scale and visibly clunky systems have prevented widespread adoption. Increasing water shortages, and concerns about contamination in existing water sources, has prompted further exploration and technology innovation to tap the water above us.

Analysis by the U.S. Geological Survey demonstrates there is more water in the air than in all the rivers in the world: 3,000 cubic miles of water, or six times that flowing in our

rivers today.1 Further, Atmoswater Research, publisher of the Water-From-Air Quick Guide, noted that the volume of water in the atmosphere is so large that all 7 billion people on the planet could each use 50 liters a day and consume just 0.002% of atmospheric water.2

Water from air technology, commonly referred to as “Atmospheric Water Generation,” AWG for short, has been geographically limited to the tropics, where relative humidity is high enough for water to be consistently condensed in much the same way it is captured through a dehumidifier or air-conditioner. More than 40 case studies on the Atmoswater Research site3 detail applications around the globe, augmenting supplies when regions faced contaminants, lacked infrastructure or simply wanted extra pure water to brew beer.

FEATURE


PURE WATER NEAR THE POINT OF USEA significant advantage of tapping water from the atmosphere is that it can provide pure water at the point of use, bypassing the supply and infrastructure issues facing our cities. The need for drinking water continues during service interruptions and emergencies, so water from air solutions provide resilience to citizens and cities weathering extreme weather events and emerging contaminants.

The diagram above may help product purchasers understand how chilled-coil systems process water and ensure the quality of the water delivered through such systems.

BEYOND CHILLED-COIL SYSTEMSAn innovation by researchers at the University of California Berkeley has changed the atmospheric water generation paradigm by enabling pure water to be captured from the air inside a building and even in the desert – at an energy cost of 0.5 to 0.8 kWh/liter.

Dr. Omar M. Yaghi, professor of chemistry and co-director of the Kavli Energy NanoSciences Institute at UC Berkeley, has been focused on the atmospheric water opportunity for more than two decades. Yaghi is renowned for having pioneered reticular chemistry, a new field of chemistry that is concerned with stitching molecular building blocks together to make Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs).

Using a specific formulation of MOF, Yaghi has demonstrated the ability to generate water from air even in the driest conditions, as evidenced by tests conducted in the Mojave Desert.4 The characteristics of MOF technology enables rapid adsorption and desorption cycles while minimizing energy use, adsorbing only water molecules from the air.

Water Harvesting Inc., was incorporated in 2018 to take the MOF-based water-from-air technology to market. The company negotiated an exclusive commercial rights agreement with UC Berkeley. Water Harvesting Inc. plans to address the demand for potable water through distributed water systems ranging in size from 5 to 20,000 liters in production per day.

A NEW STANDARDProviders of condensate systems have typically used filters and an anti-microbial treatment to address water quality, using certified labs to confirm produced water meets EPA and WHO standards. MOF- and other desiccant-based systems act as a natural filter.

ASSE and IAPMO clients can anticipate assistance in evaluating both of these atmospheric water technologies in the coming year, as ASSE 1090 is being drafted as a proposed ANSI consensus standard for atmospheric water generation. Members of the ASSE 1090 Working Group, chaired by ASSE Executive Director Tom Palkon, included 36-year water-from-air expert, Roland Wahlgren, owner of Atmoswater Research, and water quality veteran, Frank Brigano, Vice President of Marmon Water, a division of Berkshire Hathaway.

Chilled-coil AWG systems use a filter when capturing water and air where relative humidity exceeds 50%


MARY CONLEY EGGERT is the founder and Chief Innovation Officer of GlobalWaterWorks and the Atmospheric Water Generation User Group, http://bit.ly/AWGUserGroup. GlobalWaterWorks aims to accelerate the adoption of smart water technologies to ensure the availability of clean, fresh water for future generations.

FRANK SLOVENEC is the Vice President of Strategy and Business Development of Water Harvesting, Inc., www.wahainc.com. Water Harvesting, Inc,. is leading the development and implementation of a new, sustainable, point-of-use drinking water source: air-derived water using Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs). This unique process extracts water from air, even in the driest condition.

“Standards legitimize an industry and should also make it easier to assess solution providers,” says Brigano. “The beauty of AWG systems is that they are disconnected from municipal systems and their inherent ‘issues.’ Thus, making claims of ‘free from heavy metals and organics, worry-free from boil water warnings, PFAS, etc.,’ are what makes these systems attractive.”

Water industry investor and serial entrepreneur Mike Reardon, former chief executive of Culligan Water, is also enthusiastic about the prospects for this new technology. He believes it presents an “exciting new frontier that could dramatically change the approach to

Metal Organic Framework (MOF)-based systems naturally filter water where relative humidity exceeds 7%

solving the world’s water problems with, in effect, a fresh “source” of water.”

He compared the potential of renewable clean water from air, to the promise of unlimited, renewable electricity from solar cells.

“While the rest of the world works with conventional technologies on treatment and conveyance of the existing water supply to where it is most needed, atmospheric water offers a virtually unlimited new resource through the conversion of air into good clean water.” And this water is available everywhere all around us!

REFERENCES1 U.S. Geological Survey: “Where is Earth’s Water.” https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/where-earths-water?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects 2 Wahlgren, R., “Water-From-Air Quick Guide”, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 2nd edition, 2016.3 Atmoswater Research, Case Studies About Water-from-Air, https://www.atmoswater.com/case-studies-about-water-from-air.html4 University of California Berkeley: “Water Harvesting Makes It Easy to Drink Water From Thin Air,” https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/water-harvester-makes-it-easy-drink-water-thin-air

FEATURE


INDUSTRY NEWS

“Hand washing in public places and residential care settings is going to become the ‘new normal’ when it comes to preventing infections,” Chongo added. “PAZA has decided to play our part in our local communities, highlighting these new public health guidelines, and helping equip people of all ages with correct and accurate information about the importance of washing hands regularly.”

PAZA was founded in Lusaka in June 2019, with the intention of uniting Zambian plumbing and mechanical services professionals to support and educate communities on skills related to water, sanitation, sludge management, public health, and safety. The association has more than 80 members registered from a variety of backgrounds, including plumbing, water operation and supply, HVAC, mechanical plumbing services, pipefitting, and water pump maintenance.

“From a World Plumbing Council perspective, we are excited to witness the ongoing development of PAZA, as a collaborative platform for the plumbing industry across Zambia,” said WPC Chair/UA Director of Plumbing Services Thomas Bigley. “PAZA has been a proactive member of the WPC since it was established last year, and this latest initiative is another example of PAZA’s drive to raise awareness of the role of plumbing in its local communities.”

The mobile hand-washing stations will be installed at SOS Children’s Village Lusaka starting today. The guest of honor, Malden Mandela — National Director of the SOS Children's Village Zambia — will be on hand to witness these activities.

Photos of the event are available at: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmNnHRu1.

WPC CONNECTS IWSH, PLUMBERS ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA FOR CHILDREN’S VILLAGE HAND-WASHING PROGRAM

The World Plumbing Council (WPC), an international organization that aims to achieve the best possible plumbing for the world through growth and development of the world’s plumbing industries, has connected the

International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation (IWSH) and the Plumbers Association of Zambia (PAZA) for a pilot program that will provide more than 50 hand-washing stands to the SOS Children’s Village in the Zambian capital.

The collaboration is the latest example of IWSH’s support for industry partners fighting the COVID-19 pandemic through community-led water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives.

SOS Children’s Village Lusaka started its operations in August 1999. Caring for 147 children and 76 youths, there are 15 family houses, four youth homes, and a kindergarten, primary school, high school and vocational training center.

“As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread across the globe, millions of people have been heeding the advice of health experts to wash their hands regularly, with soap, to help prevent virus spread,” said PAZA CEO and President Moses Chongo. “But millions more people around the globe are vulnerable, because they do not have access to clean water and soap. The washing of hands is a small action but remains out of reach for so many.


ASSE/IAPMO/ANSI 12080 FOR LEGIONELLA WATER SAFETY AND MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL NOW AVAILABLE

ASSE/IAPMO/ANSI 12080, Professional Qualifications Standard for Legionella Water Safety and Management Personnel, has been designated as an American National Standard by the American National Standards Institute

(ANSI) and is now available for purchase.ASSE/IAPMO/ANSI 12080 outlines the

minimum qualifications needed, including knowledge and competency, to become a member of a water safety team involved in the development of a risk assessment analysis, and water management and sampling plan, for protection from Legionella and other waterborne pathogens. Its purpose is to provide a curriculum of minimum criteria, identified by industry consensus, to ensure knowledge and understanding of standards and codes, and the resources, understanding, and skills needed to conduct a facility risk assessment and implement a water safety and management program to reduce the risk of infections due to Legionella.

“As an advocate for Legionella prevention for more than 30 years, it’s reassuring and gratifying to finally have a standard that provides uniform and measurable Legionella knowledge requirements for water safety programs,” said Janet E. Stout, Ph.D., President of Special Pathogens Laboratory and member of the ASSE 12080 Working Group. “An ASSE-certified professional has been trained in the knowledge necessary to develop Legionella water management plans. Certification to the ASSE water management specialist standard means the job will be done right.”

ASSE International first developed the voluntary consensus ASSE/IAPMO/ANSI Series 12000 in 2014 to address the hazardous nature of pathogens and infectious diseases that play dangerous roles for pipe trade workers, maintenance personnel, and other construction craftspeople. The one-of-a-kind ASSE Series 12000, revised in 2018, sets minimum criteria for the training and certification of pipe trades craftspeople and employers on safer methods to assess, control, and work in environments with potentially deadly diseases and how to develop water risk management programs for buildings. The ASSE 12080 standard will be incorporated into the next revision of the Series 12000, making the entire series more comprehensive.

All candidates for ASSE 12080 Legionella Water Safety and Management Specialist Certification must successfully complete a 24-hour training course encompassing all aspects of ASSE Standard 12080, and successfully pass a 100-question written exam demonstrating core competencies in environmental testing, risk assessment, water safety and management programs, mitigation and remediation methods, construction and renovation, and case investigation.

To purchase ASSE/IAPMO/ANSI 12080, please visit the ASSE International Webstore at www.assewebstore.com. For questions regarding the standard, contact Marianne Waickman at [email protected] or (708) 995-3015.

INDUSTRY NEWS


REPAIR GUYS 1 INCH FEBCO 860

QUESTION:I have a 1” Febco model 860 reduced pressure principal assembly that is dripping from the relief valve and needs to be repaired. Can you give me some information on how to replace the diaphragm and seat disc in this relief valve?

MARK:If you are not familiar with how to repair the relief valve on this assembly, it can be a little tricky the first time. Before we get started, it is important to remember that discharge from the relief port does not necessarily indicate that there is a problem with the relief valve. Many times the discharge is an indication of a failed #1 or #2 check valve. It is always a good idea to trouble shoot the assembly first to verify the problem. After you have determined that the relief valve needs service, go ahead and close the inlet and outlet shutoff valves and bleed off the water pressure.

DOUG:The relief valve on this unit is located on the bottom of the assembly. The access cover for the RV has what looks like a brass nut that is located in the center of the cover. Loosen this nut by loosening it a ¼ turn counterclockwise. Then remove the relief valve cover bolts (2) and access cover. The RV spring is separate from the RV module and is free when the cover is removed. This relief valve module is unique in that it is built into the access cover. The RV module has a large diaphragm that is visible and a smaller inner diaphragm that is attached to the access cover. To remove the RV module from the cover, simply unscrew and remove the brass nut on the cover. Grab the large diaphragm and module and pull away until the small diaphragm comes out through the hole in the cover.

In our line of work, we field questions from contractors and technicians concerning repairs, installations, and general backflow prevention practices. We’d like to share some questions that we receive, as well as our answers. Everyone has different opinions on these subjects and we would like to hear yours.

Contact us with questions and ideas via email at: [email protected].

MARK INMAN DOUG TAYLOR


MARK:Now that the RV module is separated from the cover, you can disassemble the module and replace the rubber parts. The module is held together by a small allen bolt. This bolt must be removed in order to replace the seat disc and both diaphragms. It is important to remember that there are white plastic slip rings on either side of the small diaphragm that should be replaced. The relief valve seat is made of black plastic and located inside the body of the assembly. The RV seat simply slides into place and is sealed by a thin gasket. Do not to forget there is a small sensing line o-ring at the top of the RV cover.

DOUG:Once you have replaced the rubber parts of the module you are ready to reassemble the module into the RV cover.

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You must shape the small diaphragm so that it forms a “tulip” shape. It can then be inserted into the RV cover. Make sure the two white slip rings are in place (one on either side of the cover protecting the small diaphragm). A thin coat of food grade grease will help to hold them in position. Make sure the small diaphragm is not creased or folded under the slip ring. Replace the large brass nut into the cover only hand tight. Turn the cover over to work on the large diaphragm. The large diaphragm must be formed so that the bead on the outer edge is seated in the groove of the cover. The module and cover are now ready to be installed on the assembly. The RV spring will be held in place between the module and the RV seat.

COMPLETE SOURCE FOR BACKFLOW REPAIR PARTS

BACKFLOWPARTS.COM (800) 575-9618

REPAIR VIDEOS | TECHNICAL SUPPORT | REPAIR PROCEDURES

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TEN QUESTIONS WITH ... Jerry SchmittHEAD INSTRUCTOR, AMPAC, ALLEGHENY COUNTY, PA

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AFFILIATED WITH YOUR TRAINING CENTER/SCHOOL?I have been an instructor here at AMPAC since 1992 and a backflow instructor since 2001.

WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND AS IT RELATES TO YOUR OCCUPATION?I have been a Master Plumber for 31 years. I have been ASSE certified for 24 years. All my schooling has been through AMPAC.

HOW DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN ASSE CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS?I became interested in the ASSE certifications programs because I wanted to get involved with a reputable, respected program.

WHAT ASSE CERTIFICATIONS ARE YOU CURRENTLY OFFERING?At AMPAC, we offer the initial ASSE backflow tester certification, recertifications, and conversion classes

ARE ANY ASSE CERTIFICATIONS REQUIRED IN YOUR CITY OR STATE?Most local water authorities require an ASSE certification.

HOW DO YOU GET STUDENTS INTERESTED IN THE CLASSES YOU’RE OFFERING?The AMPAC training program has been in existence since 1966 and with that comes a good reputation in the industry. AMPAC’s backflow program would not be successful without our staff.

Our staff consists of myself as head instructor. Sandy Mahoney coordinates all the classes. We have seven proctors, three of which are certified instructors. All keep our program running successfully.

In each issue of Working Pressure, we ask 10 questions to a training coordinator or instructor of an ASSE-approved training provider. Some questions are work related, some are personal, and others are just for fun. We learn our trade through local colleagues, mentors, and instructors, but what can we learn from others across the country? In this issue, we’ll get to know Jerry Schmitt, Instructor at Associated Master Plumbers of Allegheny County (AMPAC)..

BY JANICE MCNELLISASSE Professional Certifications Coordinator


WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM? My favorite sports team is a tie between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Penguins.

IF YOU COULD CHOOSE TO STAY A CERTAIN AGE FOREVER, WHAT AGE WOULD IT BE AND WHY? If I could choose to stay a certain age forever, I would like to be 16 because I still enjoyed driving then.

WHAT’S THE BEST/WORST GIFT YOU’VE EVER GIVEN/RECEIVED? I have never received a bad gift and hopefully have never given one! WHO WOULD WIN A FIGHT BETWEEN SPIDERMAN AND BATMAN? Wolverine would clean up the floor with both of them.

TEN QUESTIONS WITH ...

JANICE MCNELLIS is the Professional Qualifications Coordinator at ASSE International. She works closely with ASSE Approved Schools that provide training to each of ASSE’s certification programs. McNellis is in her third year with ASSE International. She accepts gifts, preferably edible.

If you’d like us to ask 10 questions to your ASSE-approved training coordinator or instructor in one of our 2020 issues of Working Pressure, send us a note telling us why at [email protected].


TEST PRESSURE Random Tech & Backflow According to the ASSE International Plumbing Dictionary, working pressure is the maximum pressure in a water piping system allowable under normal working conditions. Likewise, test pressure is the pressure applied to equipment to test its ability to operate safely at its rated working pressure.

In each issue of Working Pressure magazine, we present you with Test Pressure – 10 test questions based on ASSE standards to test your ability to operate under normal working conditions.

This issue we went a little off script, with five random tech trivia questions and five backflow questions.

1 What was the name of the first home computer? a) Altair b) Osborne 1 c) VIC-20 d) Apple I

2 What was the name of Sony's portable audio player available in 1979?

a) Portapod b) Walkman c) Audiofree d) Walkcassette

3 From oldest to newest, what is the correct order in which these communication systems were invented?

a) Telegraph, telephone, radio b) Radio, telegraph, telephone c) Telegraph, radio, telephone d) Telephone, telegraph, radio

4 What brand of melted candy bar led Percy Spencer to invent the microwave oven?

a) Almond Joy b) Mr. Goodbar c) Baby Ruth d) Hershey's Milk Chocolate

5 Which car company made the humanoid robot ASIMO? a) Honda b) Mitsubishi c) Toyota d) Nissan


TEST PRESSURE

6 When performing a directional flow test on the number 2 check valve of a reduced pressure principle assembly (ASSE 1013), the minimum differential reading should be:

a) 1 psid b) 2 psid c) 5 psid d) 6 psid

7 The tool used to capture spring tension should be made of:

a) wood b) plastic c) steel d) rubber

8 Field test equipment shall be checked for calibration at least:

a) at time of purchase b) quarterly c) semi-annually d) annually

9 Back pressure is any pressure ___. a) below 20 psi b) below atmospheric pressure c) above 2 psi d) greater than supply pressure

10 What causes a pressure vacuum breaker assembly (ASSE 1020) to chatter during a flow condition?

a) Undersized assembly b) Air trapped in the top of the device c) Isolation valve #2 partially closed d) Damaged poppet seal

To view a list of ASSE-approved training providers, visit www.asse-plumbing.org/schools.

To learn more about ASSE Certification, visit www.asse-plumbing.org/certifications.

ANSWERS

1. A, 2. B, 3. A, 4. B, 5. A, 6. A, 7. C, 8. D, 9. D, 10. A

ASSE InternationalWe bring the industry together | www.asse-plumbing.org

ASSE INTERNATIONAL

2020 ANNUAL MEETING

OCTOBER 26- 29

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA

FREE | ONLINE MEETINGS VIA ZOOM

WILL BE HELD ONLINE

Documents

WATER SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY Reverse Osmosis ISSUE Training, · health and wellness, and education. Inducing peer pressure in social networks has shown similar impact. Providing relevant