Builders Council News

Florida Building Commission Adopts APSP Standard for Suction Entrapment Avoidance
On June 27, the Florida Building Commission voted 19-1 to adopt the ANSI/APSP-7 Suction Entrapment Avoidance Standard and remove the existing entrapment language in the Florida building code. According to Jennifer Hatfield, Director of Government and Public Affairs of FSPA, the APSP affiliate in Florida, the action will be ratified by the Commission in August, when a rule adoption hearing is held to approve the entire 2007 Code. The 2007 Code is slated to go into effect October 1, 2008. The Commission also unanimously approved all other swimming pool-related modifications that were accepted by the Plumbing TAC in March.

New Florida Law Permits Single-Wire Alternative to Bonding Grid for Pools
On June 19, Governor Charlie Crist of Florida signed SB 2836, the Florida Building Commission bill. Section 1 of the bill related to bonding and grounding systems for swimming pools. Upon becoming law, the bill’s provisions became effective immediately. The bill authorizes the Commission to review the bonding requirements in the 2005 National Electrical Code (NEC) and adopt an alternative to that 2005 NEC rule. Until the Commission takes action, the bill allows the use of a single #8 bare copper wire around the perimeter of a pool as an alternative to a bonding grid.