Plumbers to Keep their Licensing

South Whitehall commissioners have voted to keep intact the licensing requirements for plumbers.

In March, the board held public hearings to elicit feedback on whether or not the township should ease its plumbing and building codes, some of which were more stringent than state codes.

the commissioners to continue with the licensing requirements, citing possible health and safety issues, and the impact on their livelihood should licensing be eliminated in the township. They said, for example, an inexperienced, unlicensed plumber could make the mistake of crossing water and sewer lines, risking contamination of the water supply. As for their livelihood, they said licenses issued in South Whitehall are accepted in other municipalities, allowing them the flexibility to work in other areas without having to go through licensing in those communities.

At that time, their remarks were taken into consideration.

Action was tabled until a more thorough study could be conducted in April. 

The plumbers apparently succeeded in convincing the commissioners, who, at a May meeting, voted to keep licensing requirements intact as they updated the codes.