Harford County looks to update plumbing, building, electrical codes

The Harford County Council held a public hearing Tuesday to discuss three bills that aim to bring the county’s plumbing, building and electrical regulations in line with updated national standards.

Specifically, the three bills would update the county code to meet the most recent standards of the International Building, Residential and Mechanical Codes, as well as the National Electric Code, International Plumbing Code and International Fuel Gas Code.

According to the County Council, this is a routine process done every three years.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the council heard multiple testimonies from Harford County Inspections Director Richard Truitt on how the county’s code will change.

“By adopting the latest codes, jurisdictions ensure that the citizens are safeguarded from hazards,” Truitt said.

In the legislation concerning plumbing, the county code will remain mostly the same, as the 2021 International Plumbing Code and International Fuel Gas Code has made few changes to its last edition in 2018. There will be one significant change, according to Truitt. The new legislation will remove the department head title for the person in charge of the county’s plumbing code and will replace it with a new title, chief of plumbing services.

The county’s building code updates are designed to expand the county’s ability to address vacant structures. According to the building code update, a structure is categorized as unfit for people to live in if the building is dirty, infested with pests or lacks basic facilities such as proper lighting and heating. According to the legislation, code officials would condemn the building if it is empty, not safe to live in or at risk of collapsing.

The building’s owners will be made to lock the building up, as so no one can get in; if the owner does not lock the building, code officials can have it locked using public resources or by hiring private security. The cost of securing the building will then be added to the property’s taxes, according to the legislation.

Council members Jacob Bennett, a Democrat, and Aaron Penman, a Republican, expressed approval of the changes that aim to better address vacant buildings throughout the county.

The bill concerning electrical codes requires at least one outlet installed on any island countertop that is 24 inches long or longer and 12 inches wide or wider.

The council plans to vote on the bills Tuesday at its next meeting.