The International Code Council, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development, signed an agreement with the Collège National des Ingénieurs et Architectes Haïtiens to raise the level of plumbing and sanitation standards in Haiti.

CNIAH, in partnership with Haiti’s Ministère des Travaux Publics, Transports et Communications and with the support of the USAID Local Enterprise and Value Chain Enhancement Project, will use the ICC’s 2015 International Plumbing Code to develop the first National Plumbing Code of Haiti. Currently the island nation already adopts and enforces the International Building Code. The IPC is being translated into French and will be available sometime in 2018.

Phase one of the LEVE project to create a sustainable plumbing industry in Haiti was to assess and define the plumbing industry and choose the best plumbing code option for the country. The IPC was analyzed and found to meet the needs of the local industry as well as the international interests assisting to rebuild after the natural disasters Haiti has experienced.

The IPC is part of the International Codes family, a set of fifteen coordinated, comprehensive and modern building safety codes that are widely used and adopted in the U.S. and around the world. In addition, the Code Council and CNIAH will work together on training and education for governmental officials, designers, contractors and others responsible for the safe installation of plumbing systems in Haiti.

"The Code Council is a stalwart proponent of modern, regularly updated building safety codes and standards to promote the creation of safe buildings and resilient communities globally," said Code Council Board President Jay Elbettar, P.E., CBO, LEED AP, CASp. "We are excited to be working with Haiti on this groundbreaking initiative, which will improve the lives and wellbeing of residents across the Caribbean nation."

The Code Council has similar partnerships with Pakistan, Jamaica, Saudi Arabia and many others. For more information about ICC Global Services, click here.