The International Code Council and CSA Group announced the publication of an updated joint standard for harvesting rainwater and stormwater. CSA B805/ICC 805-2022 Rainwater harvesting systems, which is available on the Code Council’s website, provides guidance to property owners, contractors, builders, architects and code officials on constructing new buildings or renovating existing buildings in ways to conserve water and protect water resources. 

The updated standard provides design, material, installation and operation parameters for residential and commercial systems that safely utilize rainwater for potable uses such as human consumption, food preparation and bathing. It also provides parameters for systems using rainwater and/or stormwater for non-potable uses such as irrigation, fire protection and toilet/urinal flushing 

“Rainwater harvesting systems can play a vital role in reducing the burden on public water utilities and infrastructure,” said Dwayne Torrey, director of construction and infrastructure standards at CSA Group. “This Standard seeks to make it easier for jurisdictions to accept and approve rainwater harvesting systems on a much wider scale than has previously been possible.” 

“Water scarcity is a global problem, and we are committed to providing regulatory guidance to help communities conserve water,” said Matt Sigler, Code Council executive director of Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas. “Harvesting rainwater is a great solution, provided there are standards in place for communities to do so safely.” 

CSA B805/ICC 805-2022 is the second edition of the standard and supersedes the previous edition published in 2018. It has been approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as an American National Standard and is the only ANSI standard that covers both rainwater and stormwater. 

“In order to protect public health, we need consistency for advances in water reuse products and we need to find ways to increase the availability of reuse solutions,” said Sigler. “There are many ways for industry stakeholders to get involved, including participation in the Code Council’s Water Reuse Working Group.” 

The Code Council, in partnership with The National Blue-Ribbon Commission for Onsite Non-potable Water Systems (NBRC), has established a Water Reuse Working Group to explore opportunities to protect public health and better support jurisdictions seeking to advance water reuse opportunities. This diverse working group will research all aspects of onsite water reuse, develop a roadmap and propose needed resources, including recommended updates to the International Codes® necessary to meet jurisdictions’ water reuse goals.   

Interested parties are invited to learn more about the Water Reuse Working Group and get involved by contacting staff liaisons Kevin McOsker (kmcosker@iccsafe.org) or Rich Anderson (randerson@iccsafe.org).