The “Low Lead” plumbing law going into effect on January 4th, 2014 specifically exempts hose bib faucets – and other outdoor watering products – by stating that the law “shall not apply” to pipes, fixtures, etc. that are used exclusively for non-potable service “such as…outdoor watering.” Thus, in our view, the statute defines outdoor watering products as being “used exclusively for non-potable services”, and therefore exempts these products from the requirements of the law.

Here are the Laws: (the yellow highlight shows the wording that relates to Woodford)

United States Law/Regulation ( Goes into Effect January 4th 2014)

One Hundred Eleventh Congress

of the

United States of America

AT THE SECOND SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Tuesday,

the fifth day of January, two thousand and ten

An Act

To amend the Safe Drinking Water Act to reduce lead in drinking water.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reduction of Lead in Drinking

Water Act’’.

SEC. 2. REDUCING LEAD IN DRINKING WATER.

(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1417 of the Safe Drinking Water

Act (42 U.S.C. 300g–6) is amended—

(1) by adding at the end of subsection (a) the following:

‘‘(4) EXEMPTIONS.—The prohibitions in paragraphs (1) and

(3) shall not apply to—

‘‘(A) pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, or fixtures,including backflow preventers, that are used exclusively for nonpotable services such as manufacturing, industrial

processing, irrigation, outdoor watering, or any other uses where the water is not anticipated to be used for human consumption;

or

‘‘(B) toilets, bidets, urinals, fill valves, flushometer valves, tub fillers, shower valves, service saddles, or water

distribution main gate valves that are 2 inches in diameter or larger.’’; and

(2) by amending subsection (d) to read as follows:

‘‘(d) DEFINITION OF LEAD FREE.—

‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For the purposes of this section, the

term ‘lead free’ means—

‘‘(A) not containing more than 0.2 percent lead when

used with respect to solder and flux; and

‘‘(B) not more than a weighted average of 0.25 percent

lead when used with respect to the wetted surfaces of

pipes, pipe fittings, plumbing fittings, and fixtures.

‘‘(2) CALCULATION.—The weighted average lead content of

a pipe, pipe fitting, plumbing fitting, or fixture shall be calculated

by using the following formula: For each wetted component,

the percentage of lead in the component shall be multiplied

by the ratio of the wetted surface area of that component

to the total wetted surface area of the entire product to arrive

at the weighted percentage of lead of the component. The

weighted percentage of lead of each wetted component shall

be added together, and the sum of these weighted percentages

shall constitute the weighted average lead content of the

product. The lead content of the material used to produce

S. 3874—2

wetted components shall be used to determine compliance with

paragraph (1)(B). For lead content of materials that are provided

as a range, the maximum content of the range shall

be used.’’.

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The provisions of subsections (a)(4) and

(d) of section 1417 of the Safe Drinking Water Act, as added

by this section, apply beginning on the day that is 36 months

after the date of the enactment of this Act