World Plumbing Day, March 11, every year, everywhere, with encouragement from the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO®), has gained recognition in both chambers of the U.S. Congress. The U.S. Senate, for a fourth consecutive year, passed a bipartisan resolution formally designating March 11 as World Plumbing Day, and U.S. Rep. Gloria Negrete McLeod, a Democrat representing California’s 35th District, spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives about the importance of plumbing, highlighting IAPMO’s contributions to the industry and people worldwide.
Rep. Negrete McLeod, who serves as co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Water Caucus, urged her fellow representatives to keep improving water infrastructure through sound legislation to guarantee every citizen access to clean water.
“It is important to support and collaborate with groups such as the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials, who for almost 90 years have been developing codes and standards that are used to protect systems around the world as well as ensuring America’s public health for our communities,” she said. “On this World Plumbing Day, I recognize how quality, efficient plumbing systems, and those highly trained professionals who work in the industry, save our country money and precious resources while enhancing our quality of living, thereby keeping people safe and healthy each and every day.”
Click to view video of Rep. Negrete McLeod’s address.
Also in the Capitol, the United States Senate passed Senate Resolution 390 in recognition of World Plumbing Day. Introduced by Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) with bipartisan support, S.RES.390 highlights the role plumbing plays in safeguarding public health in the United States and worldwide, addresses the lack of safe drinking water and sanitation across the globe, praises trained plumbing professionals for maintaining, repairing and rebuilding the aging water infrastructure of the United States, and recognizes the World Plumbing Council for founding and IAPMO for supporting World Plumbing Day.
Read Senate Resolution 390 can be read in its entirety
“In the United States, it’s often easy to forget how lucky we are to have access to clean, running water,” Merkley said, “but the fact is nearly every aspect of our day-to-day lives would be much harder without this vital public resource — and without the skilled workers who make sure it safely gets to our homes and businesses. I’m proud to honor the hardworking men and women of the plumbing industry and the essential contributions they make to our country.”
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 the acknowledgement and action of the U.S. Congress.
Last modified: March 14, 2014