President Obama today recognized World Plumbing Day, acknowledging the vital yet often taken-for-granted role plumbers play in making life for billions of people across the globe healthy and full of possibility.
Speaking of World Plumbing Day — March 11, Every Year, Everywhere — the president wrote:
I send greetings to all those observing World Plumbing Day.
No matter who we are or where we come from — whether it’s from the world’s highest peaks or its lowest valleys — we all have responsibilities to one another and to the one planet we share. When hundreds of millions of people from around the globe are denied access to clean water or proper sanitation, their suffering not only tears away at our common humanity, but also at the brighter future we hope to secure for our children and grandchildren.
By developing creative and innovative methods to access safe, clean, and reliable water sources and environments, plumbers and other trained professionals are helping shape a healthier, more sustainable reality — on where a person’s circumstances do not limit their ability to make of their life what they will. This World Plumbing Day, let us recommit to building a world where people from all walks of life are afforded the basic rights they deserve as human beings.
– Barack Obama
The presidential statement may be viewed here.
The World Plumbing Council (WPC) in 2010 established March 11 as World Plumbing Day, an annual celebration to promote appreciation of the plumbing industry’s vital work on behalf of the planet and its people. The event aims to help the general public better understand how the plumbing industry protects the public’s health and safety, demonstrate the extent to which it works to limit mankind’s environmental footprint and to illuminate other important and often unsung work performed by contractors, inspectors, installers, engineers, manufacturers and academicians.
IAPMO has been an enthusiastic supporter of World Plumbing Day from its inception, developing educational materials and administering student contests to promote the event and facilitating its recognition among the highest levels of U.S. government. For several years the U.S. Senate and/or House of Representatives have passed a bipartisan resolution formally designating March 11 as World Plumbing Day.
“It is indeed an honor to have World Plumbing Day recognized by the President of the United States,” said IAPMO CEO GP Russ Chaney, Immediate Past Chair of the WPC. “President Obama understands the vital role the plumbing industry plays in protecting the public health and safety, and the importance that everyone has access to these basic rights. We will take the President’s important and encouraging words with appreciation as we continue this great, life-saving work.”
Last modified: March 11, 2016