With just weeks left on the countdown clock to the January 4, 2014, effective date of the new federal “Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act,” the plumbing industry is proving that it continues to rely heavily on information from the Get the Lead Out Plumbing Consortium.
The Get the Lead Out Plumbing Consortium — a cross-section of the plumbing industry comprised of leading trade associations and manufacturers — has been instrumental in raising awareness of the new requirements and offering education and training about the manufacture, distribution and installation of lead-free* plumbing products. The new law makes it illegal to sell or install pipes, fittings and fixtures in applications that convey water for human consumption that have a weighted average lead content exceeding 0.25%.
www.GetTheLeadOutPlumbing.com is the group’s primary vehicle for disseminating related information. Website tracking shows that more than 91,000 valuable resources have been viewed or downloaded from the site. More specifically, more than 7,600 visitors to the site have viewed the lead-free training video, and more than 85,000 have downloaded the lead-free PDF presentation, just two of the many training and marketing materials available on the site. Soldering resources, EPA materials and action plans for various industry segments are among the other resources available online.
All plumbing professionals will be impacted
Consortium leaders also have been crossing the country to conduct industry events to train plumbing distributors, engineers, contractors and inspectors, all of whom will be significantly impacted by the law. It officially has trained more than 4,000 professionals.
“These results show that the plumbing industry truly is aware of the new law and better prepared for the changes it imposes,” says Cindy Sheridan, chief operating officer of the PHCC Educational Foundation and a member of the consortium. “It’s reassuring to see that — with proper vision, leadership and resources — the industry can come together and make this level of impact.”
With that, Sheridan urges all plumbing professionals to stay tuned to www.GetTheLeadOutPlumbing.com for updated information. The website site will be active into 2014.
* lead-freerefers to the wetted surface of pipe, fittings and fixtures in potable water systems that have a weighted average <=0.25% per the Safe Drinking Water Act (Sec. 1417) amended 1-4-2011 and other equivalent state regulations.
Members of Get the Lead Out Plumbing Consortium
American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE)
American Supply Association (ASA)
International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO)
International Code Council (ICC)
Legend Valve
Milwaukee Valve
NIBCO INC.
Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors - National Association (PHCC)
PHCC Educational Foundation
Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI)
Reliance Worldwide
Viega, LLC
Watts Water Technologies
