Broken Arrow advances plumbing and backflow code alignment

Broken Arrow advances plumbing and backflow code alignmentBroken Arrow City Council considered Ordinance 3955 to update local building, plumbing and landscape-irrigation requirements in line with Oklahoma’s 2024 ICC codes. The statewide code package became effective on 14 September 2026.

Oklahoma’s adoption of the 2024 ICC commercial codes, with state modifications, and the 2023 National Electrical Code took effect statewide on 14 September 2026.

Ordinance 3955 includes amendments to the city plumbing code and to Section 6-101 on landscape-irrigation backflow prevention.

Broken Arrow Chief Building Inspector Joe Williford participated in the state technical-committee code reviews and chaired a committee, according to staff.

Council considered both Ordinance 3955 and a related emergency measure at its 15 September meeting.

Broken Arrow is preparing to bring its local plumbing and irrigation rules into line with Oklahoma’s newly effective statewide construction-code regime, with backflow prevention among the utility-relevant provisions in the proposed update. At its 15 September meeting, the City Council considered Ordinance 3955, a wide-ranging revision to Chapter 6 of the city code that covers building, residential, electrical, plumbing, fuel-gas and mechanical requirements. For water infrastructure and water-quality protection, the ordinance specifically includes amendments to the plumbing code and to the city’s landscape-irrigation provision on backflow prevention in Section 6-101. Staff said Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission technical committees were formed in September 2023 to review every section of the 2024 ICC commercial codes. The resulting recommendations were reviewed and approved by the commission. Legislative action in 2026, signed by Governor Stitt, adopted the 2024 ICC codes with various modifications, together with the 2023 National Electrical Code of the National Fire Protection Association. Those requirements became effective statewide on 14 September, one day before the council meeting. Broken Arrow Chief Building Inspector Joe Williford took part in the committee reviews and chaired a committee, staff told the council. Staff recommended that the city adopt the state code package and local amendments intended to improve health, safety and welfare, and also recommended approval of the subsequent emergency clause. The council heard a motion on Ordinance 3955 and then separately considered the emergency clause. The transcript provided does not record the vote result. The ordinance’s inclusion of irrigation backflow prevention places a water-protection requirement within a broader citywide update of construction standards, rather than treating it as a standalone utility regulation.