The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Subchapter
001
:
GENERAL PROVISIONS
(Cite as: 26 V.S.A. § 2173)
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§ 2173. Rules adopted by the Board
(a) The Plumber’s Examining Board may, pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, make
and revise such plumbing rules as necessary for protection of the public health, except
that no rule of the Board may require the installation or maintenance of a water heater
at a minimum temperature. To the extent that a rule of the Board conflicts with this
subsection or with 18 V.S.A. chapter 40, that rule shall be invalid and unenforceable.
The rules shall be in effect in every city, village, and town having a public water
system or public sewerage system and apply to all premises connected to the systems
and all public buildings containing plumbing or water treatment and heating specialties
whether they are connected to a public water or sewerage system. The local board of
health and the Commissioner of Public Safety shall each have authority to enforce
these rules. The rules shall be limited to minimum performance standards reasonably
necessary for the protection of the public against accepted health hazards and shall
be consistent with any minimum efficiency standards for plumbing fixtures adopted
under 9 V.S.A. chapter 74. The Board may, if it finds it practicable to do so, adopt
the provisions of a nationally recognized plumbing code and as needed shall adopt
a Vermont-specific amendment to the adopted code to ensure that it is consistent with
any minimum efficiency standards for plumbing fixtures adopted under 9 V.S.A. chapter
74.
(b) The Commissioner shall make rules and adopt procedures and priorities for inspections
and enforcement. Installations regulated by the Board shall be inspected by a State
plumbing inspector. The Commissioner may set priorities based on consideration of
health risks to persons and property, type and size of the building, and the complexity
and size of the installation or job.
(c) The Commissioner or any State plumbing inspector designated by the Commissioner shall
have the authority to enter any premises in which an installation subject to the rules
of the Board is being or has been installed, replaced, or repaired for the purpose
of performing inspections necessary to carry out inspection responsibilities under
this subchapter. If the owner or occupant of the premises refuses entry, the Commissioner
may apply to any Superior Court to issue an order enforcing the right of entry. (Added 1959, No. 215, § 3, eff. June 2, 1959; amended 1979, No. 122 (Adj. Sess.), § 1; 1987, No. 268 (Adj. Sess.), § 6, eff. June 21, 1988; 1993, No. 176 (Adj. Sess.), § 3; 2005, No. 8, § 11, eff. April 25, 2005; 2007, No. 92 (Adj. Sess.), § 10a; 2017, No. 127 (Adj. Sess.), § 2; 2017, No. 139 (Adj. Sess.), § 7.)