Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) was introduced Wednesday as a strategic partner among American public, private and civil society organizations dedicating financial and knowledge‐based resources to help address worldwide water challenges as members of the U.S. Water Partnership.
A cooperative effort uniting 41 government agencies, academic organizations, water coalitions, NGOs and private-sector interests, the U.S. Water Partnership seeks to ensure water security, health and conservation across the globe, especially within developing nations, U.S. EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and former U.S. EPA Administrator William K. Reilly announced at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
“The U.S. Water Partnership will allow us to bring together the best thinking — in both the private and public sectors — to tackle the pressing water challenges the world faces today and will face in the future. Sharing American knowledge and expertise in water protection will allow us to mobilize resources and bring about real progress in the United States and abroad,” Jackson said. “Like all of our sustainability work, this effort is about protecting health and the environment at the same time that we strengthen our economy. The cross‐sector partnerships that emerge will also allow us to rapidly scale‐up innovative solutions so they can be deployed in places all over the globe – especially in the developing world, where water needs are greatest.”
As a partner, IAPMO has committed to in‐kind contributions of $1.5 million per year for the next five years by providing education and training in emerging nations related to water safety, health, sanitation, research, best installation practices, and sustainable conservation. IAPMO’s contributions will include:
• Integrate training programs at multiple levels utilizing proven plumbing, rainwater harvesting, alternate water source and solar codes and standards, and efficient technologies
• Focus on water availability issues on a location‐by‐location basis, providing practical and efficient plumbing solutions
• Mitigate the outbreak of water‐related diseases through safe water delivery and installation
• Share plumbing industry expertise through volunteer teams of contractors, engineers, plumbers, solar installers, code and health officials, and water efficiency experts, for on‐site or off‐site evaluations
• Conduct an international symposium of plumbing, rainwater harvesting, alternate water source use, and solar industry experts to address overall industry response to the water crisis
“IAPMO has international offices and operations throughout Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, in addition to those areas of the world where water challenges are less pressing. We are very proud that IAPMO’s codes of best practice, standards and/or services protect one half of the world’s population,” said IAPMO CEO GP Russ Chaney. “The core competencies upon which IAPMO was founded in 1926 — safe, healthy plumbing and sanitation; indoor air quality through heating, ventilation and air conditioning; and more recently solar, radiant, rainwater harvesting, grey water reuse and reclaimed water systems — meld effortlessly with the U.S. Water Partnership’s ambitious and timely objectives.”
Among those partnering with IAPMO are: the Coca Cola Company, World Vision, NASA, the Nature Conservancy, the U.S. EPA and Overseas Private Investment Corporation. (Full listing found at www.uswaterpartnership.org) “I am proud to announce that the American people are doing our part by coming together through the U.S. Water Partnership, a public‐private partnership that is pooling resources and mobilizing American expertise, knowledge, and ingenuity to address water challenges around the globe, especially in developing countries where needs are the greatest,” said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Last modified: June 20, 2012