LABELLING FOR WATER EFFICIENCY

Transcription

1 LABELLING FOR WATER EFFICIENCY Er. Subhash Deshpande Preamble The water usage per person is increasing alarmingly. The main reason is the increase in the general awareness about health, hygiene and cleanliness. The water consumption is also increasing due to high standard of living, more number of toilets per apartment and Conserve increase in the average size of apartment. Other reasons are high water pressure and high water consuming water fixtures. On one hand the population is increasing and on the other hand each person is now consuming more water. The volume of available water is same. We therefore, need to conserve water. Introduction A water-efficient labelling system for plumbing products is one approach to achieve water conservation. This initiative will help in ENERGY WATER achieving the National Water Mission of Government of India s target of 20% efficiency. You may recall, a few More Stars More Savings years back, Bureau of Energy Efficiency set path in labelling of energy efficient products. The energy consuming products were tested for energy consumption and conservation, tested, certified and labelled. A rating system for the energy conserving products was established. It was simple for common man to understand and soon became very popular. It s time now to popularise the blue stars! More the blue stars, more the water conservation! Plumbing Codes 2017 Uniform Illustrated Plumbing Code-India The Uniform Illustrated Plumbing Code-India (UIPC-I) is a product of the joint effort of the Indian Plumbing Association (IPA) and International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), with world headquarters in USA. Rapid development of the Indian Construction Industry in the past decade required the plumbing industry to keep pace with modern plumbing technology. For this, the codes, standards and practices required improvements to be comparable to international standards. The basic document for plumbing, which can be considered as uniform throughout India, is the National Building Code (NBC) of the Bureau of Indian Standards. Implementation of NBC is voluntary, unless adopted by local statutory bodies. With the intent to incorporate and implement the latest technology and systems for the protection of public health and hygiene and bring uniformity to the installation of plumbing works throughout the country, IPA has ventured into the preparation of a uniform code, based on the UPC of IAPMO. The modified UIPC-I has kept all basic principles of the original UPC intact but edited to suit the Indian laws, conditions and accepted good engineering practices. The UIPC-I has been prepared by the Technical Committee 20

2 comprising of some of the eminent Consultants, Project Managers, Contractors and Manufacturers in the country, specially formed for this purpose by the IPA. The UIPC-I was first published in 2008 with the intention to revise, update and re-publish this document at regular intervals of 3 years in the future. Since then 2011, 2014 and the current 2017 editions are published Green Plumbing Code Supplement- India IPA volunteered to review IAPMO s Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement (GPMCS), modify it to suit Indian conditions, practices and laws and adapt it as Green Plumbing Code Supplement- India (GPCS-I). It is a supplement to the Uniform Illustrated Plumbing Code-India (UIPC-I). The 2010 Green Plumbing Code Supplement-India; is revised in Green Plumbing Code Supplement-India is the most comprehensive document on sustainable plumbing systems in maintaining the high standards for protecting public health and safety Water Efficient Products-India Water Efficient Products- India (WEP-I) is also the result of the joint effort of IPA and IAPMO-India. The Code references in this publication are taken from the UIPC-I and GPCS-I. Prior to 2011 WEP-I, no rating system existed in India for water efficient products. The increasing need for defining water efficient products in India prompted IPA to develop such a document in collaboration with IAPMO-India. Development Of The Rating System WEP-I is a rating system for sustainable plumbing in India. The 2011 Water Efficient Products-India (WEP-I) is revised subsequently in 2014 and WEP-I is a set of recommendations to all those who are involved in the design, engineering, manufacturing, selection, installation and maintenance of water efficient plumbing products for domestic and commercial applications in India. The use of WEP-I is intended to encourage use of water efficient products, to incorporate and implement the latest technology and systems and provide uniformity in the performance of products. Need for a rating system for water efficient products: Fresh water is a precious but finite resource, conservation of which calls for urgent and immediate measures. Therefore, there is a need to look for opportunities for the conservation of water within this user group, wherein the Plumbing Fraternity has a significant role to perform. The demand on this scarce resource could be addressed through a two-pronged approach, namely, (1) usage of high efficiency plumbing fixtures & low flow faucets and (2) by usage of alternative sources of water (other than potable water) for applications such as flushing of water closets and urinals, landscape irrigation, car wash and makeup water for air-conditioning. In order to make professional practice responsible, benchmarking has to be adopted as an accepted strategy. Water-efficient labelling system for plumbing fixtures and fittings is to achieve the objective of water (and energy) conservation in urban domestic and commercial use. Rating Systems in other countries: Many countries across the world have already established standards for rating and labelling of water efficient plumbing fixtures, fittings and appliances with supportive legislations such as: ¾ Water Efficiency Libelling System (WELS) and Smart Approved Watermark in Australia ¾ Water Sense in USA and Canada ¾ Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (WELS) in Singapore, New Zealand and Hong Kong ¾ National Plan for Efficient Water Use in Portugal AUGUST 2018 / 21

3 ¾ ECA Water Technology List in UK ¾ European Water Label in Europe ¾ Water Conservation Certification in China ¾ Guidelines WEPLS in Malaysia WEP-I will seek : ¾ Credible information on water-efficient products and practices or Combination closet, water reduction is presently dependent on use of efficient flushing mechanism (cistern or flushometer). The bowl and the trap of EWC need to be designed appropriately with further research to ensure efficient functioning with reduced water volumes per flush. The rating system for water closets is based on the volume of water used for each effective flush. The effective flush is the one that transfers all solids and also cleans the bowl of the WC. Any water closet consuming more than 6 litres per flush does not qualify the rating. If the water supply system runs dry, back-siphonage can occur into the water distribution system contaminating the same. As a preventive measure, flushing device shall have an atmospheric vacuum breaker at the outlet to qualify for rating. Therefore, push cocks are not accepted as a flushing device. One should prefer to have a flushing device and the European water closet - both from the same manufacturer. Certain projects mandate use of reclaimed water for flushing of water closets. In such situations, dual water supply piping is mandatory. It may be prudent to use flush valves instead of cisterns, since the latter could involve the danger of volume of stagnant microbialinfected water in living spaces. ¾ Raise awareness about the importance of water efficiency and recommend water-efficient products ¾ Assist consumers to make an informed choice of products that conserve water Plumbing Fixtures considered for labelling: Water Closets: Water closets are classified as European Water Closet, Combination Water Closet (Anglo Indian WC) and Asian/Indian Water Closet (Squatting Pan). The flushing devices to be used in combination with the above fixtures could either be a cistern/flush tank (coupled or separate) or electro-hydraulic flushometer valve, commonly known in India as flush valve. In the case of European water closets, water efficient toilet suites are designed coupled with a cistern and integral trap to achieve effective flush using reduced volume of water per flush. In case of the Asian (Indian) Suggested Rating: ¾ European water closet with dual flush cistern or flushometer valve rated at not more than 6 liters for full flush and 3 liters for half flush. 1 Star ¾ High-efficiency European water closet rated at not more than 4.8 liters per full flush. 1 Star ¾ High-efficiency European water closet rated at less than 4.8 liters per full flush. 2 Stars ¾ High-efficiency European water closet rated at less than 4.0 liters per full flush. 3 Stars Shower Heads/Hand-held Showers: Any shower head that provides the flow of more than 9.5 litres per minute (lpm) do not qualify for rating. Multiple showerheads/multi-jet showers serving a single user shall not have a cumulative total flow exceeding the above flow-rates. Flow rate of rain showers or massage showers shall be as specified for normal showerheads and therefore 22

4 no separate rating system is called for. Bath tubs / Whirlpools consume large volume of water per usage and therefore are not considered recommended fixtures in waterconserving installations. The flow rates are based on maximum pressure of 4.0 bars. Suggested rating: ¾ Shower head with flow-rates not more than 9.5 lpm. 1 Star ¾ Shower head with flow-rates not more than 7.5 lpm. 2 Stars ¾ Shower head with flow-rates not more than 5.7 lpm. 3 Stars Other Fixtures: The water closets and showers account for 60% of domestic water consumption and therefore are covered here in detail. Other fixtures considered for rating are Urinals, Lavatory Faucets (public and private use), Handheld Ablution Spray, Sink Faucets, Domestic Dish Washers and Clothes Washers. Notes: Flush valves without atmospheric vacuum breakers do not qualify for rating. Automatic flushing cisterns for urinals are prohibited and shall not be considered for rating. Through urinals and urinals with an invisible seal are prohibited and will not qualify for rating. A rating system for non-water urinals is not included in this document due to the apprehensions among plumbing professionals on the possible adverse effects. Metered (factory calibrated) faucets shall be used on lavatory basins (washbasins) in public toilets. Volume of water in these faucets is pre-set per usage/cycle. The other faucets (continuous flow) are generally used in residential installations where flow rates are defined as liters per minute (lpm). In case of dish washers and clothes washers more study is required with respect to variables such as quantity of water used for full/half load, temperature of water supplied, dishes with or without pre-rinsing, types/ quality of clothes being washed and type of detergent used. Flow-rates prescribed are not applicable for emergency showers or emergency eye-wash stations as high flow rates are required to perform the emergency act. Similarly, a bedpan sink is exempted from the rating system as its function is to maintain the sanitary condition at the dirty utility area which may call for higher flow rates. A tap at a drinking water fountain or a dental chair is exempted from rating for similar reason. Other fixtures, fittings and appliances such as water cooler, water heater, receptor, floor trap do not have any relevance to the flow rates, and therefore, are exempted from this rating system. AUGUST 2018 / 23

5 Qualification: Flow rates of various fixtures indicated above are at a working pressure of 4.0 bars. The minimum and maximum working pressures recommended by the 2017 UIPC-I are 1.0 bar and 4.0 bars respectively. Only those plumbing fixtures, fittings and appliances shall be considered for the rating system that meet: ¾ The minimum requirements as stated in UIPC-I and approved by corresponding Indian Standards or other international standards. ¾ The performance requirement while ensuring health and safety aspects. Implementation: Effective implementation of the WEP-I initiative will require active participation of all the stakeholders from the plumbing industry including consultants, contractors and manufacturers apart from the monitoring agencies designated by the Government. At present WEP-I is voluntary in nature. appropriate legislation will need to be enacted with guidelines to be followed by all concerned in the industry. The programme may have to be recommendatory in nature during the early stages; to be made mandatory and enforced by law in due course. As technologies evolve across the globe continually, these guidelines will need to remain dynamic subject to revisions as and when necessary. Conclusion: Saving water is the need of the hour. Saving water also saves energy to pump, treat and convey the water. It will thus reduce green house gases and save planet Earth from global warming. Lastly, it will save water for the future generations to come. Er. Subhash Deshpande is a Plumbing Engineer and retired as Director Plumbing, International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials-India (IAPMO-India). Considering his passion, devotion and the training experience in India and abroad, Mr. Deshpande is popularly known as Plumb-Acharya. Utilising his experience and expertise, his untiring efforts continue in plumbing education and developing plumbing labs across India. He can be contacted at subhashdesh8@gmail.com 24