WORLD PLUMBING CONFERENCE
Events & Activities
FROM THE CHAIRMAN - THOMAS BIGLEY
Dear brothers and sisters,
As 2022 ends I hope that everyone’s New Year’s resolutions for 2022 were successful, especially if they pertained to the plumbing industry. With 2023 right around the corner, we all have the opportunity to again make New Year’s resolutions. My hope for 2023 is for the WPC community to grow in membership. The more members we have from different countries, the more information we can share with each other.
The World Plumbing Council brings together plumbing manufacturers, trade schools, unions, plumbing engineers, instructors, plumbing codes and standards councils to promote and protect the plumbing industry. Together, all these professionals can make our world a better place.
One of the biggest challenges the world faces is clean, sustainable water. For mankind to survive we need water as much as we need clean air and food. Many of us are facing historical droughts that will create mass migrations to where the water is plentiful. Global warming is challenging our societies to make changes in the ways we power the future as well. Wind and solar alone cannot keep the lights on in our homes and businesses. We need the “all-of-the-above” approach to meet the world’s energy needs for the future. Some of these topics were discussed at our December virtual general membership meeting. My thanks to our panelists who led some spirited debate during our session.
WORLD PLUMBING COUNCIL INVITES SUBMISSIONS FOR ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIPS
The World Plumbing Council is accepting applications for its three annual scholarships, two of which are awarded to plumbers to travel internationally to learn more about the industry, and the third of which goes to a trainer/instructor to attend the annual UA Instructor Training Program in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The scholarships are available to individuals actively involved in their local plumbing industry, particularly in education and training. They help create an educational exchange between plumbing industry participants from different countries; increase awareness of the contribution plumbing has made to global health, sustainability, and the environment; and provide a platform for networking and relationship building on a global level, helping strengthen the inter-connectedness of the global plumbing industry.
The Scholarship for Least Developed and Developing Countries is a one-time grant for an individual actively involved in their local plumbing industry, particularly in education and training, to travel to another country for the purpose of developing and contributing further plumbing industry knowledge. The applicant must be a citizen of either a least developed country or a developing country.
IAPMO CROWNS INTERNATIONAL PLUMBING CHAMPIONS AT CONCLUSION OF WORLDSKILLS COMPETITION 2022 SPECIAL EDITION
Submitted by The IAPMO Group
The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) was pleased to participate in the Plumbing and Heating event at WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition (WSC2022SE), Nov. 2-4 at GROHE Technikum in Lahr, Germany. The competition showcased national champions from 20 WorldSkills member countries.
IAPMO CEO and World Plumbing Council (WPC) Deputy Chair Dave Viola relished the opportunity to present medals to the winning champions, concluding a thrilling three-day competition at the celebratory closing ceremony Nov. 5. Viola was joined by IAPMO Chief Administrative Officer and WPC Secretariat Gaby Davis, as well as IAPMO President David Gans and Vice President Steve Panelli, both experiencing a WorldSkills competition for the first time.
Plumbing and Heating competitor Florian Bliem of Austria captured the gold. Joint silver medals were awarded to Tom Pean of France and Marton Offner of Hungary, and the bronze medal was won by Tai-Yu Chen of Chinese Taipei.
PMI INTRODUCES RETHINK WATER INITIATIVE
Submitted by Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI)
PMI’s Rethink Water initiative is an effort to assure clean and safe water for future generations by building a coalition of individuals, organizations and policymakers with a shared vision of sustainably managed water. Knieps introduced a video about the initiative and emphasized the importance of addressing the water shortages caused by climate change and aging infrastructure. Rethink Water is one of an “amazing array of forward-looking initiatives” PMI has planned for 2023 and beyond, he said.
BALANCING IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON WATER ACCESS AND TIME MANAGEMENT
Submitted by Charles ZM Kapasula, a plumbing tutor/master plumber at Pwezi Rural Polytechnic, Rumphi, Malawi (Central Africa).
The water cycle is part of our everyday lives, but climate change may have dire consequences for everyday water access. Climate change is already affecting water access for people around my country, Malawi, causing more severe droughts and floods. Climate change impacts the water cycle by influencing when, where and how much precipitation falls. It also leads to more severe weather events over time. Increasing global temperatures causes water to evaporate in larger amounts, which will lead to higher levels of atmospheric water vapor and more frequent, heavy and intense rains in the coming years.
Wanton cutting down of trees in the remote areas has led to more floods since more water will fall, which vegetation and soil can absorb. The remaining water, or runoff, drains into nearby waterways, picking up contaminants like fertilizer on the way. This eventually travels to larger bodies of water like lakes, estuaries, and the ocean, polluting the water supply and limiting water access for humans and the ecosystem. When fertilizers from farming wash into lakes and rivers, they promote the rapid growth of algae. This results in algae blooms in coasts and waterways with clouds of green, blue-green, red or brown algae. The blooms block sunlight from reaching underwater life and diminish oxygen levels within the water. Toxins from the blooms can kill off fish and other aquatic animals, make people sick, and even kill humans. These toxins are especially dangerous because they can survive purification processes, making tap water unfit to consume once contaminated.
RWANDA PLUMBERS ORGANIZATION HOLDS OPEN DAY EVENT TO PROMOTE PLUMBING
Submitted by the Rwanda Plumbers Organization
The Rwanda Plumbers Organization held an Open Day event on 21 October, 2022 to promote the plumbing industry in Rwanda.
The event was a great success; photos from the day may be viewed at:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/thenewtimes/albums/72177720303077273
UNDERSTAND THE HYDROGEN HYPE
Submitted by Master Plumbers (MPMSAA)
The world’s most abundant, efficient and cleanest-burning substance is gaining more and more prominence as Australia explores ways to meet its target of zero net emissions by 2050.
With hydrogen now being used in part to power households, cars and barbecues across the country, the sky is the limit as to how far the clean, green alternative fuel can take us.
And with a National Hydrogen Strategy guiding Australia’s short- and long-term futures, it is clear that hydrogen will play a major role in Australia for generations to come.
So, what does the plumbing industry need to know and what role can it play as part of the transition towards a zero-emissions future?
PLUMBING TRAVELLING EXHIBITIONS (PTE) LAUNCHES IN SOUTH AFRICA
Submitted by Rory Macnamara | Director/ Editor: Plumbing Africa Journal, SA Affordable Housing and Timber IQ Newsletter
The new concept for exhibitors launched in May this year has been received with great success.
South Africa is a large country with our plumbing fraternity spread far and wide, and it was noticeable that many could not visit an in situ exhibition due to a variety of reasons like traveling and overnight stays whilse also running a plumbing business, which is very hands-on.
PTE was created to fill this gap by being the one that would take exhibitors to various out-of-city venues to engage with business owners, plumbers, engineers, operations managers, and municipalities.
QUEENSLAND PLUMBING AND GAS INDUSTRY EXCELS
Submitted by Master Plumbers’ Association of Queensland (MPAQ)
On Friday 14 Oct., the 2022 Plumbing and Gas Industry Awards recognized the outstanding achievements, hard work and dedication of Queensland-based individuals and companies. This year’s winners have broken all expectations through growth, development, community engagement and standards of excellence, making Queensland’s plumbing and gas industry beyond compare.
Presented by Master Plumbers’ Association of Queensland (MPAQ) in partnership with event partner Reliance Worldwide Corporation (RWC), a record-breaking 722 attendees were at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) to celebrate the outstanding achievements made by plumbing and gas individuals and companies across 16 award categories.
BRAZILIAN MARKET IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE QUALITY OF INSTALLATIONS
Submitted by Alberto J. Fossa, Abrinstal
In Brazil, more and more public service concessionaires — such as sanitation companies and piped gas distributors — in addition to construction companies, have been concerned with the quality of installations of water and sewage networks and also of combustible gases. This has driven the improvement in the quality of installations and the search for the Building Installation Performance (BIP) label.
This label, which is completing 20 years, was born with the name Qualinstal and was created with the purpose of certifying installation companies to guarantee the level of quality of installation services, provide greater security for users, increase compliance and performance of installations, and to increase the sector’s productivity.
BPEC: LEADING THE WAY IN GREEN SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
Submitted by Alberto J. Fossa, Abrinstal
In Brazil, more and more public service concessionaires — such as sanitation companies and piped gas distributors — in addition to construction companies, have been concerned with the quality of installations of water and sewage networks and also of combustible gases. This has driven the improvement in the quality of installations and the search for the Building Installation Performance (BIP) label.
This label, which is completing 20 years, was born with the name Qualinstal and was created with the purpose of certifying installation companies to guarantee the level of quality of installation services, provide greater security for users, increase compliance and performance of installations, and to increase the sector’s productivity.
FILIPINO MASTER PLUMBERS INTO PROFESSIONAL CAREER PROGRESSION AND SPECIALIZATION
Article contributed by: Allan S. Dumalay, nampap,inc./ WPC individual member
Filipino master plumber received the lowest rank among professionals in the Philippine plumbing industry. The basic qualification for a master plumbing board exam was being a high school graduate —recognized as level four of the international educational standard. Level five requires a short-term tertiary education, level six a bachelor’s degree, level seven a masteral and level eight a doctoral.
It was also recognized that most licensed and registered Master Plumbers are multi-disciplined and a diverse group. A majority are also a licensed architect, environmental planner, and/or civil/sanitary/ mechanical/electrical/chemical/mining engineer, to name a few; there are also business/accounting, educator, and a nurse. Surprisingly, some academe and government employee Master Plumbers hold doctor of philosophy degrees in their entity. This diversity signifies the importance and requirement of this profession in the society.
MASTER PLUMBERS AND GASFITTERS ASSOCIATION OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA REPORTS A YEAR OF PROGRESS
Submitted by Master Plumbers and Gasfitters Association of Western Australia
The Master Plumbers and Gasfitters Association of Western Australia reports that 2022 has been a year of notable achievements. Here is its summary of the most significant successes.
Policy successes
The association had historic victories with two legislative changes it has been lobbying hard to achieve in recent years.
HEARD ABOUT HYDROGEN?
Article submitted by Stuart McConnell – Technical Officer, MPAQ
If there was a buzzword in the industry right now it would be hydrogen! Everyone’s talking about hydrogen, but nobody really knows much about it!
We are in the midst of a climate crisis; we have an overloaded power grid, the cost of energy is soaring, the cost of living is the highest it’s been in 20 years, interest rates are on the rise, and it can’t all be blamed on the pandemic.
Short-sighted governments and a lack of investment in future fuels has played its part. It’s fair to say that times are somewhat tough. We are all feeling it in our pockets, whether it’s the electric bill at home, the gas bill, or the cost of filling up the car.
APPRENTICESHIP PLUMBER TRAINING INITIATIVES FOR THE VENERABLE YOUTH AND WOMEN: PUBLIC-PRIVATE-PARTNERSHIP FOR SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA
| The global need for Competent master plumbers could be met through workplace training blended with institution-based training. The apprenticeship and mentorship training in the informal sector commonly known as the Jua Kali sector could play an important role in meeting the problem of the shortage and lack of competent and qualified plumbers capable of handling risk assessment and risk management of clean-water systems to provide safe drinking-water for socio-economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study’s findings indicated that in the years 2020 moving forward, strides made in the training of youth and women could provide leverage in giving them decent jobs in all sectors of the economy. However, the global need for qualified, licensed, competent plumbers with more focus on youth and women in Subsaharan Africa is far from being actualized. Read the report here: https://www.worldplumbing.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/plumber-apprenticeship-training-initiatives-in-sub-Saharan-africa.pdf |
INDIAN PLUMBING PROFESSIONALS LEAGUE – IPPL 2022
Submitted by the Indian Plumbing Association
The 6th edition of Indian Plumbing Professionals League — IPPL is being conducted across 24 Indian Plumbing Association (IPA) chapters in India, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Nagpur, Nashik, Navi Mumbai, Pune and Raipur. More than 650 participants from the various chapters are participating as a two-person teams. IPPL is a knowledge-sharing and skill-enhancing competition conducted by the IPA that imparts knowledge of the best, innovative and latest plumbing practices in a professional way, in a quiz format.
Enclosing below a list of the topics that are covered during IPPL 2022.
PRATHAM PLUMBING TRAINING PROGRAM CONTINUES
Submitted by the Pratham Plumbing Training Program
The last two years have been most difficult time for all of us. The pandemic has impacted many lives and industries. But we have not lost our hope and started again with fresh joy, positivity, and enthusiasm.
Post to pandemic (till now), the Pratham Plumbing Training Program has managed to train 1100+ youths
Placed 900+ Youths in different segments of Plumbing Industry
Women Engagement in Plumbing Industry – By breaking the barriers of Male dominance in Plumbing Industry, in the FY 2022 – 2023 till now we have trained 60+ Female candidates and placed them in the Service Sector (Authorized Service Provider) of Plumbing Industry
DATES FOR DIARY
HanseBAU + Bremer Altbautage 2023
20 to 22 January 2023
Bremen, Germany
https://messe-bremen.de/event/hansebau-bremer-altbautage-2023/
NKBA’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show® (KBIS), NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS) and the National Hardware Show® (NHS)
31 January – 2 February
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
https://kbis.com/
ACREX India 2023
14 to 16 March 2023
Bangalore, India
https://www.acrex.in/
CeramBath – China International Ceramic & Bathroom Fair Foshan April 2023
18 to 21 April 2023
Foshan, China
http://en.cerambath.org/
ISH-Nachlese 2023
11 to 12 May 2023
Dresden, Germany
https://ish-nachlese-dresden.de/
IAPMO/ASSE Co-Located 94th Annual Education and Business Conference
24 – 28 September 2023
San Antonio, TX, USA
https://www.iapmo.org/ibu/events/
WaterSmart Innovations 2023
3 to 10 October, 2023
Las Vegas NV, United States
https://www.watersmartinnovations.com/
Contact secretariat@worldplumbing.org to provide an event report or request listing of an upcoming event.