It seems like only yesterday when I reported on the success of IAPMO’s conference and Assembly Consideration Session held in Las Vegas. Yet, here we are preparing for the 79th Annual Education and Business Conference to be held in Atlanta. In this issue, you will read about the numerous education sessions, Technical Meeting Convention, Chapter Leadership Summit, and the ISH North America tradeshow. The Companion Committee has also put together a wonderful program for the week. The registration information and program are available in this issue and at www.iapmo.org.
The IAPMO conference program is slightly different this year. The Mechanical Technical Meeting Convention, as well as the code discussions on the Uniform Solar Energy Code and Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code, will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 30. The Evening Event at the Andretti Raceway will follow the code discussions later that night. Then on Wednesday, Oct. 1, the Plumbing Technical Meeting Convention will be held off-site at the Georgia World Congress Center, where ISH North America will take place. The tradeshow will run through Friday, Oct. 3, thus shuttle buses will be available for all conference attendees beginning on Wednesday and running through Friday. IAPMO will offer education sessions at both the conference hotel site — the Sheraton Atlanta — and at ISH North America. You will need to sign up in advance, so be sure to visit www.iapmo.org to register for all events.
Just prior to the IAPMO Conference, the World Plumbing Council will host its Triennial Meeting in Calgary, Alberta, Canada from Sept. 24-27. Several United Association Locals have joined as Affiliate Members of the WPC and have experienced the benefits of relationships formed with the international plumbing community. I encourage those that have become members of the WPC to participate in the Triennial Meeting in Calgary. I also encourage the local IAPMO Chapters to participate in the WPC events. There is so much to be learned from those in the plumbing industry around the world. Issues of concern to the United States are very similar to those globally, including the droughts in Australia and Italy, and the availability of safe water and sanitation to victims of Katrina and victims of the recent tsunamis. Registration forms and the meeting agenda can be found at www.worldplumbing.org/2008.html. As IAPMO has worked very closely with the World Plumbing Council, the IAPMO Board of Directors has been invited to attend this meeting in an effort to show The IAPMO Group’s support of the work that the WPC has done on a global scale.
IAPMO has been involved in the WPC for more than a decade and has supported the activities of this important international community. IAPMO is also very supportive of the work of the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA). Many state MCA representatives have assisted the IAPMO Field Managers in their efforts to start a new chapter, fight a code battle, promote the Uniform Codes, or attend a chapter meeting to discuss a topic of general interest. In early March, I had the pleasure of attending the MCAA Annual Convention with President Ron Rice and Vice President Bob Siemsen. MCAA out-going President David Kruse and Executive Vice President and CEO John Gentille hosted approximately 2,000 attendees at their conference, yet still took the time to make us feel welcome. We had the pleasure of meeting with MCA / Plumbing Contractors of America Chairman Chuck Fell, who also welcomed the IAPMO representatives during their very busy week. We certainly thank the MCAA staff and leadership for extending the invitations to IAPMO to participate in their annual conference, and for the decades of support given to IAPMO by members of MCAA throughout the United States.
Kruse, now Past President of MCAA, has found the time to participate as a member on IAPMO C.A.U.S.E. — the Committee for the Awareness and Understanding of a Sustainable Environment. In past issues of Official, C.A.U.S.E. Chairman and Board Member Doug Fredericksen has reported on the activities of this prestigious group and they have been working diligently to ensure IAPMO meets its goal of pushing forward a minimum 10 percent mandatory reduction in energy usage and water savings through code changes that require sustainable construction practices over the next three years. As reported in a press release in January 2008, the Uniform Plumbing Code, Uniform Mechanical Code and Uniform Solar Energy Code will focus on achievable goals that reduce waste and conserve precious resources while still enabling contractors to build affordable buildings with more efficient construction products and practices. I encourage you to be involved in the consensus development of the UPC, UMC and USEC.
To support the efforts of IAPMO and C.A.U.S.E., IAPMO R&T offers a certification program for efficient products. To qualify, products must have certification to the applicable sections of qualifying standards. Additionally, the products must also provide a level of performance that works toward ensuring a higher level of environmental sustainability in the built environment. IAPMO R&T is also offering product certification to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense program for products such as high-efficiency toilets, bathroom sink faucets, landscape irrigation services and showerheads. IAPMO R&T’s Global Sales and Customer Service Administrator Karen Snowden can provide additional information to anyone interested in these programs. If your chapter would like to learn more, IAPMO R&T staff is available to address the topic with your members at one of your regularly scheduled meetings. Ms. Snowden can be reached at karen.snowden@iapmort.org or at (909) 472-4105.
On the international front, I am pleased to report that IAPMO R&T Oceana will soon be certifying gas products throughout Australasia. This will be in addition to the plumbing and drainage products it already certifies to the WaterMark Certification Scheme. Accredited by the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JAS-ANZ), IAPMO R&T Oceana continues to support the needs of manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand.
In recent issues of Official, staff has reported on the release of the Uniform Plumbing Code – India (UPC-I) and the Uniform Plumbing Code – India Illustrated Training Manual (UPC-I ITM). This summer, The IAPMO Group will open its newest satellite office in Bangalore, India. Staffed with code experts and a product certification specialist, this regional office will support the development, implementation and education of UPC-I, and will certify plumbing products that meet with the requirements of UPC-I. IAPMO is pleased to provide a code of practice for this rapidly expanding nation. With the implementation of UPC-I, the Indians will be protected and, more importantly, educated on safe plumbing practices.
The IAPMO Group Website is an excellent source for information on all of our products and services. Direct contact information is available to the various departments and staff members located around the world. Please visit www.iapmo.org to find what you are looking for.