Clarification of Gender Neutral Toilets: MA Plumbing Code
As part of the new Massachusetts Plumbing Code amendments issued in January 2017, “gender neutral” toilet rooms have replaced “unisex” toilet rooms.
Where 248 CMR 10.00 requires 2 or more toilet fixtures designated by gender, the use of gender neutral toilet rooms is permitted under one of two conditions (248 CMR 10.10(18)(r)):
(1) All gender designated toilet fixtures are replaced with an equal number of single use gender neutral toilets (such that there are no gender designated fixtures); or
(2) Where 4 or more toilet fixtures are required for males and females combined per 248 CMR, gender neutral toilets are permitted to replace required gender-designated fixtures in increments of two.
Figure 1 shows an example of how to apply these conditions where 248 CMR 10.00 requires 10 female toilets and 8 male toilets. The third approach shown in Figure 1 is not compliant as the gender neutral toilet room is required to satisfy minimum fixture counts, however is not provided in increments of two as required.
Figure 2 illustrates that a single gender neutral toilet room is permitted to be used for accessibility or other purposes provided that it is in addition to (i.e. not code required) the number of required gender-designated toilet fixtures.
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