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Committee backs recommendation to adopt 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code with amendments
Summary
The Topeka City Committee received a recommendation from its plumbing board to adopt the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code, supported by staff; the proposal would adopt the code with site-specific amendments and reduce the city’s prior list of local amendments by about half.
The Topeka City Committee voted on May 14, 2025, to send forward staff's recommendation to adopt the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code, with local amendments, after a presentation by city staff and the plumbing board representative.
"The plumbing board is recommending that we move forward with, making a recommendation to the council that we adopt the, 2024, plumbing code," said a staff member identified in the meeting as Richard, who presented the request and referred to the plumbing board’s review and recommended amendments. Richard said staff supports adoption and that many previous local amendments have been incorporated into the 2024 edition, reducing the separate amendments the city must maintain. "I'd also like to point out that we're we're making a recommendation that we adopt the code with amendments. And I wanna point out that, our amendments have been cut in half by 50% because a lot of our amendments have been added into the code," Richard said.
Nut graf: The committee was asked to advance an updated plumbing standard (the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code) so the city's construction requirements are not more than nine years out of date; staff said keeping codes current promotes safety and consistent construction standards for residential and commercial work.
In the discussion, committee members raised the timing of other code updates — notably the International Energy Conservation Code and ADA accessibility standards — and whether a broader, multi-trade stakeholder review should be scheduled for codes that affect multiple trades. Richard and others explained the plumbing code review is trade-specific and that some other codes will require broader stakeholder involvement and thus will take longer.
The committee moved and approved the recommendation to forward the plumbing-code adoption to the council for final action. No specific amendment text was voted on in committee; Richard said the plumbing board and staff will continue to finalize proposed local amendments and present them as part of the ordinance.
Ending: Committee members asked staff to coordinate stakeholder meetings for the multi-trade code updates (energy and others) and to return to the governing body with the recommended ordinance language for the 2024 Uniform Plumbing Code and the proposed, consolidated local amendments.
