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PLUMBING, MECHANICAL & FUEL GAS NEWS

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PMG Signs MOU with CPSE, AFSA and NFSA to Enhance Fire Safety

The 2009 International Residential Code provides a provision that requires newly constructed one- and two-family houses to include the installation of life-saving fire sprinkler systems, designed to dramatically reduce the number of injuries and deaths in the home caused by fires. To address the huge upswing in demand for professionals who are accredited to install residential fire sprinkler systems driven by these new regulations, The Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE), the International Code Council (ICC), the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA), and the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) signed a joint Memorandum of Understanding during Fire Rescue International in Chicago, Illinois on August 27, to jointly advance and promote the mutual interest of fire protection safety and accreditation.

The Code Council will work with these respected leaders in fire protection safety and accreditation to advance and promote mutual goals, all of which are focused on personal safety. The ultimate goal of the MOU will be to work towards a complete and professional dwelling fire sprinkler industry through the development of codes and standards, proper design, certification, education and accreditation.

Pictured at the signing cermony are, from left, NFSA Vice President of Regional Operations Buddy Dewar; CPSE Board President Randy Bruegman; AFSA Executive Vice President and Vice President of Marketing & Communications Janet Knowles; and Code Council Plumbing, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Group Executive Director Jay Peters. Click to continue.

World Toilet Summit Addresses Overseas Sanitation Market

While the "World Toilet Summit" may sound like a conference of plumbing and fixtures suppliers, the reality is that it is a high-level event where world leaders in water, health and sanitation meet to share insights, learn and network about solutions and opportunities to both reap huge business profits and help solve the global sanitation crisis that affects 40 percent of the world's population.

The International Code Council, proud partner of the World Toilet Organization, is presenting the first-ever U.S. World Toilet Summit 2010 (WTS) to offer these tremendous revenue opportunities to U.S. businesses, as well as to provide a venue where U.S. and overseas professionals can meet, network and learn how to work together towards this common sanitation goal. The event will be hosted by the American Society of Plumbing Engineers during their biennial Convention and Engineered Plumbing Exposition in Philadelphia October 30-November 2. Any businessperson who has products or services in plumbing, sanitation and water-related categories and is interested in expanding globally should attend this conference.

The perception that all of these 2.6 billion people live in poverty is incorrect. In reality, over two-thirds of this huge market have dispensable incomes and are spending their money on televisions, cell phones and the like. The sheer volume of demand for sanitation-related products is mind boggling and the purchasing power and high return on investment has been proven.

The WTS will focus on the myriad multi-billion dollar sanitation business opportunities that exist and how to best take advantage of them. Topics for the Summit tracks are Innovations in Global Toilet Design, Bottom of the Pyramid Market and Micro Financing, Advocacy and Potty Parity, and the Cleaning and Personal Care Market. The ICC-focused tracks are Green and Codes & Standards, which both round out the WTS's sanitation topics and complement ASPE's tracks perfectly.

Don't miss this rare opportunity to be part of a truly unique conference where corporate profits and altruism can truly coexist. For more information about the ICC World Toilet Summit 2010 at the ASPE Convention, visit www.iccsafe.org/iccwts.

DOE Steps Up Enforcement of Energy Efficiency Requirements

Demonstrating an unwavering commitment to enforcing energy efficiency compliance for companies selling appliances in the U.S., the Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced proposed penalties against 27 companies that have not complied with energy efficiency or water conservation standards.

Certifications are required to help ensure that products sold in the U.S. meet certain energy efficient requirements. The 27 non-complying companies include manufacturers, importers, and private labelers of appliance, plumbing, and lighting products. Proposed penalty fees exceed $3.5 million, although these fines may be reduced if certification compliance is met.

In the past year alone, the DOE has removed over 60 products from the market that did not meet Federal energy efficiency standards and initiated 75 enforcement investigations and actions. Currently, over 600,000 products are DOE-certified.

The Department of Energy issues and enforces minimum energy and water efficiency levels for products in 20 different categories for which energy efficiency standards have been developed. These improved efficiencies will save consumers between $250 and $300 billion on their energy bills through 2030, not to mention saving precious resources.

WateReuse Association Initiates Major Awareness Effort

At their 25th Annual WateReuse Symposium held last month, the WateReuse Association unveiled a comprehensive website and announced a major communications initiative designed to promote education, understanding and acceptance of water reuse and desalination among the general public and non-industry audiences.

The new site, www.athirstyplanet.com, will offer comprehensive information on water reuse and desalination, including background information, frequently asked questions and educational tools on the "water cycle" that can be utilized by anyone wishing to help to educate others about ways to reuse water.

Since many of the water reuse examples referenced on this site and supported by the Association are provisions found in the Code Council's International Green Construction Code Public Version 1.0, both organizations' independent efforts towards dramatically reduced water consumption and encouraging reuse as much as possible dovetail perfectly.

The WateReuse Association is an international organization with the mission "to advance the beneficial and efficient use of water resources through education, sound science, and technology." The Association's membership consists of water and public agencies, as well as various levels of government agencies. WateReuse is involved in national advocacy, public education and outreach, and water reuse and desalination research. Visit www.watereuse.org for more information.

Meeting with South Carolina PMG Inspectors Association

The Code Council was well represented at the South Carolina Plumbing Mechanical and Fuel Gas Inspectors Association (SCPGMIA) Annual Educational Conference held early last month. ICC instructor, Bob Glaze, provided two six-hour training days on PMG provisions in the IRC and the IMC.

The annual business meeting honored Charlie Coker as the Inspector of the Year, and PMG staff member Shawn Martin provided an update on the International Codes and was designated to formally install the officers, presenting Charlie Coker with his President's Pin.