How to Secure BABAA Certification with American-made Restroom Components

The Build America Buy America Act (BABAA), enacted as part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021, requires that all covered infrastructure projects that receive federal financial assistance use iron, steel, manufactured products, and construction materials produced in the United States.

If your federally funded project includes restrooms, restroom products such as flushometers, hand dryers, showerheads, and sinks are considered manufactured products and must be produced domestically to meet BABAA compliance for manufactured products.

Sloan offers more of these BABAA-certified products than any other manufacturer. Here’s a quick guide to meeting federal BABAA requirements with Sloan restroom components.

BABAA Act Details, Specifics, and Exceptions

It’s important to review the specifics of BABAA Certification for manufactured products. The act requires that these products be “produced in the United States,” which means:¹

• The manufactured product was manufactured in the United States; and
• The cost of the components of the manufactured product that are mined, produced, or manufactured in the United States is greater than 55% of the total cost of all components of the manufactured product.

Determining the cost of various components can be complicated, with different standards in place for different manufacturing materials.²

While there are waivers that can be applied based on non-availability, unreasonable cost, or public interest,³in most cases, any covered infrastructure project—such as an airport, transportation hub, public school, university, hospital building, or government office built with the assistance of federal funds—must buy BABAA-compliant products. Restroom products are no exception.

Sloan Restroom Products that Comply with BABAA Standards

Oddly, many restroom products offered by American brands are not produced in the United States. Those products are not BABAA-certified for installation in covered infrastructure projects that receive federal financial assistance.

Many Sloan products, on the other hand, are BABAA-certified. They are manufactured in the U.S., and the cost of their components is at least 55% of the total cost of all components. Some projects or agencies may require greater than 55% domestic content, so be sure to let Sloan or your local Sloan representative know if you have different requirements. Sloan’s BABAA-certified products include:

• Hundreds of flushometers, both sensor-operated and manual
• Sinks in nearly every style and configuration
• Hand dryers
• Showerheads
• Flushometer and water closet combos

Detroit Metro Airport recently undertook a major project built with federal assistance in compliance with BABAA standards, completely rebuilding all 67 of the passenger-facing restrooms in its McNamara Terminal.⁴ These restrooms include Sloan AER-DEC® Integrated Sinks, which combine a soap dispenser, faucet, hand dryer, and sink basin into one beautiful, touch-free, hygienic, highly efficient system.

Sloan restroom fixtures can help any federally funded project comply with BABAA requirements for manufactured products.

Sloan Products Also Meet Buy American Act (BAA) Standards

The Buy American Act (BAA) is an older federal law that mandates that a certain percentage of the components of the products purchased by the federal government must be made in the United States. Those products include restroom components for government buildings, and Sloan leads the way in providing American-made products that meet BAA standards. They include:

• All Sloan flushometers, both sensor-operated and manual, in every style and finish
• All fixtures with SloanTec® Hydrophobic Glaze
• Dozens of sinks and faucets

Sloan has a long, proud history of manufacturing in the United States. We believe domestic production is right for our company, right for our customers, and right for the environment. To explore all the ways we can help your next federally assisted project comply with BABAA and/or BAA requirements, contact Sloan.

Notes:                    
 1—HUD, Title IX—Build America, Buy America; Part I—Buy America Sourcing Requirements
2—FEMA, Build America, Buy America Act Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
3—Office of Management and Budget, Build America, Buy America Factsheet and FAQs for Award Recipients
4—ClickOn Detroit, “DTW rebuilding 67 bathrooms in McNamara Terminal,” July 2024