The state Senate recently approved legislation placing a one-year moratorium on a provision of Pennsylvania's Uniform Construction Code that would require sprinklers in all new single-family homes and two-unit duplexes, according to Sen.

Don White, R-41st.Without the moratorium, the residential sprinkler mandate would take effect Jan. 1."This mandate sounds good on paper, but it really is costly and impractical, especially in rural areas of the state," White said."Estimates are that it would take $1 billion to $2 billion in infrastructure improvements for existing municipal water authorities to meet the pressure and service requirements that would come from this mandate.""The impact on properties served by well water would be even more costly and likely make it financially impractical for homes to be built in areas without public water service," he added.The Senate-approved legislation, House Bill 1196, returns to the House of Representatives for concurrence.