The United States Senate, at the urging of the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), on Tuesday passed a bipartisan resolution formally designating March 11, 2011, as World Plumbing Day.
Senate Resolution 100, introduced by Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and co-sponsored by Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.), 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, declares access to such a vital human right and praises trained plumbing professionals for maintaining, repairing and rebuilding the aging water infrastructure of the United States.
“Whereas Congress and plumbing professionals across the United States and the world are committed to safeguarding public health: Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Senate designates March 11, 2011, as ‘World Plumbing Day,’ ” the resolution concludes.
Senate Resolution 100 can be read in its entirety
To view the Congressional Record containing the resolution’s introduction on the Senate floor, go to here.
The World Plumbing Council (WPC) last year 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 work performed by contractors, inspectors, installers, engineers, manufacturers and academicians that is often taken for granted.
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 most recently facilitating, with assistance from the American Society of Sanitary Engineering (ASSE), the introduction and subsequent passage of this resolution in the U.S. Senate.
“I would like to thank the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) for raising awareness of this important issue,” Bennet stated in the Congressional Record. “These individuals work diligently to create and maintain the Uniform Plumbing Code, which serves as the foundation for all plumbing installation and inspection activities for over half the world’s population.”
“IAPMO wishes to express our gratitude to the United States Senate, especially Sens. Bennet, Hatch, Merkley and Murray, for acknowledging in such a strong public manner the significant contributions of the plumbing industry toward the safety and welfare of Americans and all the peoples of the world,” said GP Russ Chaney, IAPMO CEO.
Last modified: March 17, 2011