By Mike Flenniken
One Industry, One Goal
Training, collaboration and code enforcement help
Boston balance historic infrastructure with modern
development.
COLUMNS
Presidents Message
CEO Message
Rooted in Our Past, Anticipating the Future
For one full century now, IAPMO has been guided by a simple yet profound mission: protecting public health and safety through safe plumbing...
IAPMO Stays Centered on Mission, Focused on the Future
As this issue of Official reaches readers, the global plumbing community will have just come together in Birmingham, U.K., for the 2026...
ANSWERS & ANALYSIS
CODE QUIZ
MEMBERSHIP
Union Roots, Industry Vision
Like many people, William “Bill” Venable’s path after high school began with a stint in junior college.
It didn’t last long.
When it became clear that wasn’t the direction he wanted to take, his father — a longtime union plumber with Plumbers Local 68 and lifetime member of the United Association — sat him down and offered another option.
100 Years In and Looking Ahead
This year, IAPMO turns 100.
That is a milestone worth recognizing, but more than that, it is a moment to pause and consider what it represents — a century of progress does not happen on its own. It is built over time by members who choose to stay engaged, share their expertise, and contribute to something bigger than their day-to-day work.
Keynote Speaker: Judaline Cassidy
Judaline Cassidy is a union plumber, feminist, speaker, and founder with a tool belt full of purpose and a heart built for impact. Born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, she was one of the first three women accepted to study plumbing at the John Donaldson Technical Institute, now the University of Trinidad and Tobago. She was smashing barriers before she ever held a wrench in the United States.
IWSH
IWSH and IAPMO Support New Plumbing Skills Challenge at PlumbexIndia 2026
In April 2026, the Indian Plumbing Association (IPA) launched a new initiative at PlumbexIndia 2026, the largest exhibition of water, sanitation, and plumbing products in India. Held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) in Bengaluru, the event brought together policymakers, industry leaders, engineers, and innovators at a critical moment for water infrastructure across the country.
At the center of that effort: the inaugural IPA Bathroom Challenge.
How IWSH’s Humanitarian Plumbing Mission Was Built on Partnerships
The creation of the International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation (IWSH) did not begin with a single project or a single moment. Like many of IAPMO’s most successful initiatives, it evolved gradually — shaped by relationships, inspired by firsthand experiences, and strengthened through partnerships that revealed how the plumbing industry could make a direct and lasting difference in underserved communities around the world.
2025 IWSH Essay Competition: Runner-Up
One afternoon, I was reading the news about a new freshwater project in Central Java when my phone buzzed with a notification:
“Rifah, do you remember how we used to get clean water when you lived here? We boil the rainwater every day, the same way I do now. With that big well, of course.”
ARCSA
From Stormwater to Supply
As extreme weather becomes more common across the Southeastern United States, interest in rainwater harvesting is rising — not just for drought resilience, but for managing the region’s increasingly intense rain events.
G. Edward “Eddie” Van Giesen, national sales manager for RainCycle, a Watts company, has spent nearly two decades advocating for rainwater catchment. He served as principal author of Georgia’s first “Rainwater Harvesting Guidelines” in 2009 and continues to advance system design and policy development across the region. In 2014, he co-authored the book “Designing Rainwater Harvesting Systems: Integrating Rainwater into Building Systems.”
ARCSA International Launches In-Field Certification Program for Rainwater Harvesting Systems
ARCSA International® has announced the launch of its Rainwater Harvesting System Certification Program, a comprehensive in-field certification program designed to verify that rainwater harvesting systems are designed, installed, and operating in compliance with ARCSA/ASPE/ANSI Standard 63.