Press Releases

Today, U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) re-introduced the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Plumbing Research Act to improve the safety, water efficiency and reliability of our plumbing systems.

“Americans benefit from modern water fixtures and appliances like water-saving shower heads and efficient washing machines, but the pipes that currently carry water to them are based on decades-old designs. To really improve water efficiency, we need to solve the other half of the puzzle,” said Rep. Cartwright. “This bill is a win-win-win: consumers will save money thanks to fewer plumbing repairs, lessen their exposure to health risks, and it will promote innovation in the plumbing industry.”

"It’s 2020, but our nation’s water infrastructure still seems like it’s from the 1930s,” said Senator Duckworth. “Nationwide, nearly century-old premise plumbing infrastructure design and construction standards are both inefficient, and a risk to our public health. The NIST Plumbing Research Act would support research that helps lay the groundwork for an overhaul of our water infrastructure systems that finally brings them into the 21st century.”

The research and data behind the U.S. plumbing structure, design and construction standards have barely changed since they were established in the early 20th century.   As a result, even new plumbing systems are often inefficient and unsuited for current plumbing fixtures and appliances. For example, an outdated algorithm for estimating water demand leads builders to use unnecessarily large pipes, supplying more water than needed to buildings, causing excess water to stay behind in pipes. The excess water can potentially harbor pathogens or other health hazards.

The NIST Plumbing Research Act will help solve these problems and bring U.S. plumbing standards into the 21^st century. It would direct NIST to resurrect a plumbing research program discontinued in the 1970s which investigated ways to make plumbing safer, more reliable and more efficient.

Additional co-sponsors of this bill in the U.S. House are: Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Joseph Morelle (NY-25), Chellie Pingree (ME-01) and Paul Tonko (NY-20).