Since I last wrote, the IWSH team has completed three projects, two in North America and one international. With the help from our incredible volunteers, partners, and sponsors, we were able to change lives.
Lowndes County, Alabama: Upskilling Youth to Support Community Plumbing Improvements
For the third consecutive year, in April 2024, IWSH returned to the heart of Lowndes County, Alabama, for an IWSH Community Plumbing Challenge to drive change in a region that has suffered from inadequate sanitation for decades. Our focus has now expanded to providing further training and empowerment alongside indoor plumbing retrofits. In collaboration with the Black Belt Unincorporated Wastewater Program (BBUWP), we are equipping local high school students with the skills needed to conduct the IWSH Household Plumbing Survey, an easy-to-use tool that identifies where skilled plumbers need to make repairs and update fittings, fixtures, and appliances.
The shortage of skilled plumbers is a pressing issue globally. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 550,000 plumbers will be needed by 2027. To support workforce development in areas that don’t have access to educational and training resources or opportunities, IWSH trained local students how to use the IWSH Household Plumbing Survey and teach them about the basics of plumbing systems that they are surveying. Skilled plumbers appreciate the IWSH Household Plumbing Survey because it frees them up to concentrate on the actual repairs and upgrades.
Navajo Nation: Improved Septic Systems for Baca Chapter
Our latest Community Plumbing Challenge brought us to the Baca/Prewitt Chapter on the eastern side of the Navajo reservation in New Mexico. The challenge was to fix failing wastewater systems in two community buildings, the Baca Chapter House and the Baca Senior Center. These buildings are vital to residents’ quality of life, providing food service and community shower facilities. Effective wastewater treatment minimizes disease-causing bacteria and other chemicals that contaminate the water supply and make it unusable. In one week, the IWSH team designed and installed individual, pressurized mound septic systems that are better suited for the needs of the area.
The success of the project was due to the support from various partners. IWSH was fortunate to have volunteer Sam Woolsey from Local Union 12 volunteer his time to conduct soil tests and evaluation, while Infiltrator Water Technologies played a crucial role by supplying most of the grease interceptors and drain field materials.
Manila, Philippines: Plumbing for Health
Through a partnership with the World Plumbing Council (WPC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), IWSH recently completed a CPC that involved upgrading the plumbing systems in four healthcare facilities in the Manila area. The sites were selected by the Philippine Department of Health (DOH) following roll-out of WASH FIT assessments at those facilities under the WHO-UNICEF WASH in Healthcare Facilities program, which identified gaps in service delivery.
Improving water and sanitation access for health centers is essential to support community health and well-being, and IWSH showcased the importance of quality products and qualified personnel. The project hosted more than 45 participants and representatives from across the various partner organizations, including operations and maintenance managers from the four healthcare facility sites and the City of Manila, who are typically responsible for smaller health centers and barangay clinics (i.e. neighborhood clinics) across the city.
Through this partnership and program, IWSH is helping to create a framework for a long-term, effective, and sustainable Plumbing for Health program in the Philippines. This will serve as a scalable country model that can be expanded and administered by the WHO Western Pacific Regional Office for other countries in the region and further internationally.
We’re halfway through 2024 and the IWSH team, with vital support from sponsors and volunteers, will continue to provide plumbing services for communities most in need.
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Robyn Fischer
Last modified: September 3, 2024