Joined: 10/17/2008
Posts: 31
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The proposed standard for water powered pumps has been released (attached), and is open for public comment until March 5.
Water powered pumps are used to pump sump water (ground water or storm water that seeps into basements). This revision process was initiated by IAPMO after the Alliance for Water Efficiency took effective action to oppose these devices from inclusion in the green codes (IAPMO GPMSC and ICC IgCC).
There are some very disturbing issues that you may want to address in comments to IAPMO.
Water Use: The best efficiency the pumps can achieve is pumping only 1.4 gallons of sump water for each gallon of potable water consumed. Each hour of operation can result in 360 gallons of potable water consumed. This could easily result in using more than 4,000 gallons in a day. While these pumps could be beneficial during power outages, the water use raises some concerns.
Catastrophic Failure: This standard disregards ANSI standards for hydrostatic burst tests. This draft standard proposes the pumps only be tested at 125 psi for 5 minutes. This test is less than half the water pressure required in testing for other water fittings, meters, equipment and appliances. If a water powered pump fails, the water waste can exceed 8,000 gallons per day. Keep in mind that these devices are in basements of residential and commercial buildings where occupants may not enter for days to discover the leak.
Cross-Contamination: The pumps work by a venturi action, where the potable water is purposefully joined with sump water (often containing raw sewage and other contaminants) then jointly elevated up above ground level to be discharged outside. There is no air gap between the contaminated water and the potable water. There can often be more than 6 feet of head pressure of the contaminated water onto the pump and the potable water supply. The proposed standard does not require any check valves be incorporated into the pump itself to safeguard against backflow. While the installation instructions state that backflow prevention must also be installed, the water powered pumps are often considered DIY projects where the installer will not have sufficient knowledge to install a PRZ.
If your company/agency/organization are compelled to address any of these issues, here is additional information.
http://www.iapmostandards.org/Pages/20DayPublicReview.aspx
Comments should be submitted by e-mail, using the template below. All comments must include the following:
Name, company (if applicable), and contact information of commenter (including e-mail address).
Specific technical issues and health and safety concerns related to the proposal.
Supporting information substantiating the comments. E-mail attachments can be submitted in Word or PDF format.
Proposed wording to address the technical, health, or safety issues to the satisfaction of the commenter.
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