Sponsors Make It Happen

ASPE’s Los Angeles and Orange County Chapters would like to thank Speakman for being the major sponsor of this year’s ASPE Spring Classic Golf Tournament. They also would like to thank Bottle Free Water and Weil Aquatronics for sponsoring a combined 37 golfers! This fundraising event was a tremendous success for the chapters. Thank you all for your support!

Get a Reduced Room Rate for the 2009 Plumbing Engineering and Contracting Technical Symposium!

ASPE and Plumbing Contractors of America (PCA) are co-sponsoring this unique educational and networking event on October 22–25 in Dearborn, Michigan. In addition to numerous technical and professional development workshops, this year’s Symposium features a Plumbing Engineering and Contracting Product Exhibition, where attendees can get up close and personal with hundreds of new products they specify. ASPE has obtained a reduced room rate of $109 per night! Click here to register now.

Don’t Miss Out on the Next ASPE Webinar: Introduction to Graywater Systems

On Wednesday, June 3, at 1:00 p.m. CST, Winston Huff will present our next webinar on graywater systems, which will introduce the different types of water reclamation systems and what designers need to know before recommending them to clients. Cost is $69.95 for ASPE members and $129.95 for nonmembers. Participants can earn 0.1 CEU or 1 PDH. Click here to register.

Earn CEUs Quickly with ASPE E-Learning

If you're looking to increasing your skill set, learn a new procedure, or just want to increase your opportunities for advancement, ASPE E-Learning is the most convenient and affordable way to achieve those goals. We offer a complete set of e-learning courses to help you increase your knowledge or earn CEU/PDH credits.

EDUCATIONAL AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

May 27: Quebec City Golf Tournament

The ASPE Quebec City Chapter will hold this event at the Grand Portneuf golf course. Click here for details.

June 2: St. Louis Golf Tournament

ASPE’s St. Louis Chapter’s golf event will be held at the Warrenton Golf Course. Cost is $85 per player. Hole sponsorships are available for $75. Contact Dave Bujnak for more information.

June 8: Kansas City Golf Outing

ASPE’s Kansas City Chapter is holding its annual golf outing at Sunflower Hills Golf Course in Bonner Springs, Kansas. Cost is $90 per person (includes dinner). Visit www.kc-aspe.com for more information.

June 12: Pittsburgh Golf Outing

ASPE's Pittsburgh Chapter is holding its annual golf outing at the River Forest Country Club in Freeport, Pennsylvania. Cost is $85 per golfer or $340 per foursome. Hole sponsorships are available for $50. For more information, contact Joe Starr at 412-782-3357 or Don Ditter at 412-209-2903

June 12–13: Ft. Worth Basic Design Class

ASPE’s Dallas/Ft. Worth Chapter, in partnership with PVI North Texas Sales, is holding a Basic Plumbing Design course tailored to assist new plumbing designers. Terminologies, trade tendencies, history of the profession, basic calculations, and several other critical areas of design will be covered. Classes will consist of 16 total hours of training, and each attendee will receive a copy of the DFW ASPE Course Handbook and a certificate for 1.6 CEUs or 16 REUs. Contact Rick Lobb for an application.

June 15: Buffalo Golf Tournament

ASPE’s Buffalo-Niagara Chapter’s annual golf outing is being held at the Bridgewater Country Club in Ft. Erie, Ontario. (Participants are reminded of the new border crossing requirements.) Cost is $75 per golfer (includes lunch). Contact Irv Garleck at 716-316-3545 to register. For hole and door prize sponsorships, contact Joe Eppolito at 716-633-5300.

June 17: Southern California Golf Tournament

ASPE’s San Diego Chapter is holding its “Meeting in the Meadow” golf outing at the Carlton Oaks Lodge and Country Club in Santee, California. Cost is $99 per golfer, and hole sponsorships are available. Click here for more information.

June 23: Salt Lake City Golf Tournament

ASPE’s Intermountain Chapter is holding its annual golf tournament at Mt. Dell Golf Course in Parley’s Canyon, Utah. Cost is 75$ per person, and hole sponsorships are available for $175. Registration deadline is June 5. For more information, contact Suzanne Kocherhans at 801-322-0487.

June 23: Central Ohio Golf Tournament

ASPE’s Central Ohio Chapter is holding its annual golf outing at the Links at Echo Springs. Receive 10 percent off if you register before May 30. Click here for a registration form (page 8).

June 24: Atlanta Golf Tournament

The ASPE Atlanta Chapter’s annual golf outing is being held at The Golf Club at Bradshaw Farms in Woodstock, Georgia. Click here to register.

NEW! Interleague Evening at Camden Yards Being Held June 26

ASPE’s Baltimore and Washington, D.C., Chapters have an extremely limited number of tickets to the Baltimore Orioles/Washington Nationals game at 7:06 p.m. Tickets are only $5 each. Contact Ben Ploskon to request tickets.

July 18: Cleveland Minor League Baseball Outing

Join the ASPE Cleveland Chapter in watching the Lake County Captains take on the Greenville Drive. Cost is $9 (includes a box seat and post-game fireworks). Request tickets from Mitch Clemente no later than June 12.

NEW! Johnstown-area Golf Outing Being Held August 3

ASPE’s Johnstown Chapter is holding its annual golf tournament at the Windber Country Club in Salix, Pennsylvania. Cost is $100 per golfer (includes lunch and dinner). Hole sponsorships are available. Contact Jim Spinelli for more information.

August 6: Cleveland-area Golf Tournament

The joint ASPE/ASSE golf outing will be held at Fowlers Mill Golf Course in Chesterland, Ohio. Cost is $115 per golfer (includes dinner). Click here for a registration form (page 11).

INDUSTRY NEWS

Senate Committee Passes Water Infrastructure Legislation

Last week the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed The Water Infrastructure Financing Act, which authorizes $39 billion to help pay for critical water infrastructure needs to reduce storm water and wastewater pollution across the country and also funds critical drinking water needs. The bill expands eligibility for funding for projects including storm water management, water conservation, or efficiency projects, reuse, and recycling projects. In addition, it provides $1.8 billion for grants to address combined sewer overflows; $60 million/year in grants to reduce lead in drinking water; and new incentives for green infrastructure projects. A similar bill passed in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year.

Building Inspectors Charged with Fraud

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the FBI charged three Cleveland building inspectors with extortion for soliciting bribes from an undercover agent posing as a real estate investor. In related news, the Chicago Sun-Times reports that a developer has pled guilty in a bribe-for-permits scheme for acting as a go-between to pass on a bribe to a city plumbing inspector.

New Study Finds Reclaimed Water Quality Similar to Other Water Types

A Reconnaissance-Level Quantitative Comparison of Reclaimed Water, Surface Water, and Groundwater, a new study by the WateReuse Foundation, found that reclaimed/recycled water, surface water, and groundwater were more similar than dissimilar when tested for the presence of 244 representative constituents, of which 89 were not found in any samples. When detected, most constituents were in the parts per billion and parts per trillion ranges. DEET and caffeine were found in all water types and in virtually all samples. Triclosan (in anti-bacterial soap and toothpaste) was found in all water types, but detected in slightly higher levels in reclaimed water versus surface water or groundwater. Very few hormones/steroids were detected in samples, and when detected, were at very low levels. Halocedic acids (a disinfection by-product) were found in all types of samples, even groundwater. The largest difference between reclaimed water and the other waters appears to be that reclaimed water has been disinfected and thus has disinfection by-products (due to chlorine use). Click here to order a copy of the report.

IAPMO R&T Lab Offers California Energy Commission Testing

IAPMO R&T Lab has introduced a new testing capability: California Energy Commission (CEC) 2007 Appliance Efficiency Regulations. In accordance with California Code of Regulations, Title 20, Sections 1601-1608, appliances that are sold or offered for sale in California shall comply with CEC 2007 Appliance Efficiency Regulations. IAPMO R&T Lab is now able to conduct testing on residential pool pumps and portable electric spas for compliance to CEC Appliance Efficiency Regulations Section 1604(g)(3) and CEC Appliance Efficiency Regulations Section 1604(g)(2), respectively. Click here for more information on testing products.

WaterSense Specification Available for Public Comment

WaterSense has refined its draft labeling specification (initially released in May 2008) for single-family new homes. The revised specification addresses efficient plumbing fixtures, hot water delivery systems, appliances, landscape design, and irrigation. The revised specification will ensure that future WaterSense labeled homes still use 20 percent less water than similar new homes, while reducing the burden and cost to the builders. The updated specification will be available for public comment through July 7. Click here for details on the specification.

New ASHRAE Standard Guides Designers in Moisture Control Measures    

Guidance on how to best design buildings with adequate moisture control features is contained in ANSI/ASHRAE 160: Criteria for Moisture Design Analysis in Buildings. The standard introduces criteria to handle rain, wind, and other exterior moisture weather loads. The cost is $39 ($33 for ASHRAE members). To order, visit www.ashrae.org/bookstore.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

High-efficiency Flush Valve Released

Moen’s Commercial Division has introduces a new line of easy-to-operate FreeHand high-efficiency flush valves that promote water and energy savings by using an infrared sensor beam to activate a flush cycle when a user is in range, ensuring efficient water use and sanitary protection. Water closet flush valves feature a flow rate of 1.28 gpm, and urinal flush valves feature a flow rate of 0.5 gpm. 

Calculate Green Budget Benefits with Water Use Tool

Facility managers can gauge the impact of tower and boiler water use on environmental and operational costs with the new eSolutions calculators from Earthwise Environmental. The calculators provide estimated environmental and budget impact of boiler and tower water use and cost and water savings associated with implementation of the patent-pending eSolutions program. Worksheets open in Microsoft Excel or OpenOffice.org formats.