Huh?
Yes, I know, hardly any of you reading this have heard of World Plumbing Day. It takes placeMarch 11, a date established just last year by the World Plumbing Council (WPC) as 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, distributors and academicians that is often taken for granted.
Most of you probably haven’t heard of the WPC either. Check them out atwww.worldplumbing.org. It’s an international organization that includes many plumbing industry VIPs from the U.S., UK, Australia and other countries. Its stated objectives are “to develop and promote the image and professional standards of the world plumbing industry,” and “to encourage, participate in and facilitate the exchange of research and technology information applicable to the world plumbing industry.”
Noble goals, and “World Plumbing Day” is a brainstorm to help bring them about.IAPMO, publisher of the Uniform Plumbing Code, is a WPC participant and in support of World Plumbing Day 2011 has developed a plan to partner with American educators to help students understand how “Plumbing Moves Society Forward.”
To that end IAPMO has developed a social studies-themed lesson plan and will administer a poster designing contest embracing the “Plumbing Moves Society Forward” theme for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students, winners receiving iPod prizes. The curriculum includes an introductory video, discussion guidelines and plumbing fact sheets furnished by the WPC that demonstrate clearly the health, environmental and societal benefits of safe, sanitary plumbing systems.
“When you compare a nation like the United States to a developing country such as India, sanitation represents a major discrepancy and it is one that touches every aspect of life in either case,” saidDan Daniels, president of IAPMO. “It’s a perfect topic for social studies curriculum and what better time to discuss it than World Plumbing Day?”
So how do you plan to celebrate World Plumbing Day on March 11?
Resources are available to help you decide. You can check out details of IAPMO’s program, including video links, class outlines, information sheets and other relevant information available to download in PDF file format atwww.iapmo.org/Pages/WorldPlumbingDayContest.aspx.
Additional information about World Plumbing Day, including a list of other planned events, can be found atwww.worldplumbingday.org.
