We’re excited. Are you?

Registration for the industry’s BIGGEST and MOST AFFORDABLE event will open after Memorial Day. At the 2010 Convention and EPE in Philadelphia, October 30–November 3, join ASPE as we “Ring in the Future” with fabulous parties, thought-provoking educational sessions, and the largest plumbing product tradeshow in the world. Come meet the Society’s new executive director and board officers, greet your colleagues from all over the world, and possibly walk away with one of the latest technical toys.

ASPE and ICC Join to Promote Uniform and Sustainable Plumbing Systems

On Sunday, May 16, ASPE and the International Code Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to advance and promote the organizations’ mutual interests in the design, specification, installation, and inspection of plumbing systems. The main objectives of the MOU are to achieve a comprehensive regulatory document to bring uniformity across the country, identify and promote sustainable opportunities, support standards and code development to benefit the plumbing industry, and promote minimum international standards regarding safe water and sanitation initiatives.

Did You Ever Have a Dream?

Vince Papale did. This life-long Philadelphia Eagles fan took the advice of his high school mentor—who said, “Happy are those who dream dreams and are willing to pay the price to make those dreams come true”—and attended open tryouts for the NFL team in 1976. Vince, a schoolteacher who had never played a down of college football, defied all odds and not only made the team, but also was voted Special Teams Captain by his teammates and was named the Eagles’ “Man of the Year” in 1978. Vince will be the keynote speaker at the 2010 ASPE Convention, and attendees will have the chance to shake hands with this true legend who inspires everyone he meets to live the dream—just one more reason why you need to attend the 2010 Convention and EPE in Philadelphia.

Learn About BIM and the Plumbing Codes at ASPE’s Regional Workshops Next Week

ASPE is holding back-to-back, one-day workshops on BIM and the International and Uniform Plumbing Codes on May 24–25 in Chicago and May 26–27 in Dallas. Click here to sign up now. Multiple workshop and employees discounts are available.

A Little Taste of What You Can Learn at the 2010 ASPE Convention…

Ever design a high-rise? What about the plumbing systems for a 2,716-foot skyscraper? No? Then you definitely should attend the session that will explain how engineers boosted water thousands of feet to the top floors of the world’s tallest building. Do you want to help bring safe drinking water and sanitary systems to those in need? Then you should join the discussion on how engineers are overcoming the difficulties in bringing potable water to developing areas. Watch your mail for more news about the exciting educational opportunities at the 2010 ASPE Convention.

Does Your Company Deserve an ASPE Industry Award?

ASPE's Industry Award is given biennially to companies for outstanding service in the advancement of plumbing engineering technology. Any ASPE member may nominate a company (including their own). Click here for the nomination form. The deadline for nominations is June 30.

You Want to Have ASPE’s Newest Technical Resources in Your Library

The Plumbineering Dictionary contains thousands of terms in the plumbing engineering lexicon, and the Hunter Papers collection contains three of Roy B. Hunter’s original research documents. ASPE members can purchase these resources for $29.95 and $59.95 respectively. Sales brochures for both publications are in the mail.

EDUCATIONAL AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

NEW! American Standard Design Center Tour Being Held Tomorrow

ASPE’s Philadelphia Chapter is touring the American Standard Design Center at 865 Centennial Avenue, Piscataway, New Jersey, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Lunch is included. Contact Steve Ziga with questions or to RSVP.

NEW! Phoenix Dairy Plant Tour Being Held Tomorrow

ASPE’s Phoenix Chapter is touring the Shamrock Dairy Plant at 2228 Black Canyon Highway in Phoenix at 1:30 p.m. E-mail Brian Merrick to RSVP.

NEW! Nashville Target Shooting Competition Being Held This Saturday

ASPE’s Nashville Chapter will be holding this fundraising event at a Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency-supervised firing range, including a picnic with outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, and canoeing, near Percy Priest Lake in Long Hunter State Park. Contact Gary Mahoney for more information.

May 25: Western Michigan Golf Outing

ASPE’s Western Michigan Chapter is holding this event at the Quail Ridge Golf Club in Ada, Michigan, starting with lunch at 11:15 a.m. The registration fee includes golf cart, lunch, and dinner. For more information, e-mail ASPEWestMichigan@gmail.com.

June 4: Raleigh Golf Tournament

ASPE’s Raleigh Chapter is holding this fundraising event at Riverwood Golf Course in Clayton, North Carolina, starting with an open driving range at 8:45 a.m. Cost includes green fee, cart, beverages, and lunch. For more information, contact Scott Sansbury.

June 8: St. Louis Golf Outing

ASPE’s St. Louis Chapter is holding this outing at the Warrenton Golf Course, with a shotgun start at 9:30 a.m. Click here for more information (page 11).

NEW! Portland Golf Outing Being Held June 10

ASPE’s Portland Chapter is holding this event at Lewis River Golf Course in Woodland, Washington, with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. Cost includes green fee, cart, continental breakfast, and a post-tournament awards lunch. Click here for more information.

June 15: San Diego Golf Outing

ASPE’s San Diego Chapter is holding this event at the Carlton Oaks Lodge and Country Club in Santee, California, starting with free driving range privileges at noon. Registration includes golf cart, range balls, and drink tickets. Contact Mike Adkins for more information.

June 18: Chicago Golf Outing

ASPE’s Chicago Chapter is holding this event at Hilldale Country Club in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. Lunch and beverages will be served, and after the event will be a cocktail hour and buffet dinner. Contact Steve Triphahn to register.

June 18: Pittsburgh Golf Outing

ASPE’s Pittsburgh Chapter is holding this event at the River Forest Country Club in Freeport, Pennsylvania, starting with lunch at 11 a.m. Cost includes golf, cart, locker room, lunch, dinner, and prizes. Contact Joe Starr (412-782-3357) for more information.

June 19: Cleveland Minor League Baseball Outing

ASPE’s Cleveland Chapter is holding this event at Eastlake Ballpark at 7 p.m. Tickets are $9 and include a box seat behind the third base dugout and fireworks. Send your request for tickets no later than tomorrow to mclem@wrldesign.com.

June 21: Buffalo-Niagara Golf Outing

ASPE’s Buffalo-Niagara Chapter is holding this event at Bridgewater Country Club in Fort Erie, Ontario, starting with lunch at noon. (An enhanced driver’s license or passport is required for border crossing.) Cost includes lunch, green fee, cart, and dinner. Contact Irv Gareleck (716-316-3545) for more information.

June 22: Central Ohio Golf Outing

ASPE’s Central Ohio Chapter is holding this event at the New Albany Links Golf & Country Club in New Albany, Ohio, with a shotgun start at 10 a.m. The registration fee includes golf, cart, lunch, dinner, beverages, and prizes. For more information, contact Chad Dupler.

June 23: Atlanta Golf Outing

ASPE’s Atlanta Chapter is holding this event at the Golf Club at Bradshaw Farms in Woodstock, Georgia, with a shotgun start at noon. Proceeds help the Atlanta Chapter Scholarship Fund. Click here for a registration form.

June 25: Interleague Evening at Camden Yards

ASPE’s Baltimore and Washington, D.C., Chapters have 50 tickets to watch the Baltimore Orioles host the Washington Nationals at Camden Yards at 7:05 p.m. Tickets are available for $6 each. Contact Ben Ploskon to RSVP.

June 30: Milwaukee Tailgate Party

ASPE’s Wisconsin Chapter is holding an outing at Miller Park to watch the Milwaukee Brewers take on the Houston Astros. Price includes transportation to and from the game, drinks and food, and a ticket. Click here for more information.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Kansas Strengthens Its Medical Gas Piping Systems Law

Kansas Gov. Mark Parkinson signed Senate Bill 449 (SB 449) into law in response to a medical gas accident last March at a dental facility in Lawrence. The new law amends existing law regarding the repair, maintenance, and inspection of medical gas piping systems in the state. The new legislation requires that all such work must be performed only by a person licensed to perform plumbing work according to a city’s or county’s statute and who is certified under the appropriate professional qualifications of the ASSE Series 6000 standard. Installers now are required to obtain a proper permit from the county or city where the medical gas installation will be performed. SB 449 also requires all inspections of medical gas piping systems to be performed by a certified third-party agency and all necessary documentation to be submitted to the city or county before the facility where the system has been installed is occupied.

The Pros and Cons of Turning Water and Wastewater into Energy

A new New York Times special report examines the use of water and wastewater as alternative forms of energy. “Water Adds New Constraints to Power” examines the growing concern over using freshwater for energy generation, and “Turning to Water Conservation to Save Energy” explores the lopsided relationship between power and water utilities. A third article describes how the city of Vancouver is turning wastewater and sewage into energy to provide heat and hot water.

Representatives Discuss Proposed Potty Parity Legislation

Last week, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform held a legislative hearing to examine the merits of H.R. 4869, the Restroom Gender Parity in Federal Buildings Act, which addresses the problem of insufficient restroom facilities for women in federal buildings. Click here to watch a webcast of the hearing. For access to an interview with Rep. Edolphus Towns, chair of the committee, who explains why he thinks the bill is needed, click here (item is located near the middle of the webpage).

Ontario Aims to Have the Cleanest Water in North America

On Tuesday, the Ontario government introduced legislation that it says will make Ontario the leading clean-water jurisdiction in North America. If passed, the Water Opportunities and Water Conservation Act would encourage the creation and export of innovative clean water technology, promote water conservation, attract economic development, and create jobs. The proposed act would create the Water Technology Acceleration Project, encourage Ontarians to use water more efficiently by creating and implementing innovative approaches to conservation, and strengthen sustainable municipal water planning by helping identify and plan for long-term infrastructure needs.

What Are the Regulatory Requirements for Direct Potable Reuse?

A new white paper by the National Water Research Institute discusses regulatory requirements, health concerns, project management and operation, and public perception of direct potable reuse, or the introduction of recycled water directly into a potable water distribution system downstream of a water treatment plant, to help alleviate California’s water shortages. While the practice generally has been deemed unacceptable by regulatory agencies due to a lack of definitive information related to public health protection, the paper argues that direct potable reuse now may be a reasonable option to consider based on significant advances in treatment technologies and monitoring methodologies.

Representatives Release Legislation to Increase Funds for Safe Drinking Water

Last week, Rep. Henry A. Waxman, chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and Rep. Edward J. Markey, chair of the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment, released legislation that will reauthorize and increase funding for the drinking water state revolving fund under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).  The Assistance, Quality, and Affordability Act of 2010 will amend SDWA to increase assistance to states, water systems, and disadvantaged communities; encourage good financial and environmental management of water systems; strengthen EPA enforcement authority; reduce lead in drinking water; and strengthen the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program.

Will the Proposed Senate Climate Bill Restrict Green Building?

The Associated General Contractors of America believes that the recently introduced American Power Act will make it harder to construct new, more energy-efficient buildings and factories, improve aging infrastructure, and eliminate the traffic congestion that wastes fuel and pollutes our environment. The trade association says that allowing the EPA a virtually free hand to approve or deny construction and rehabilitation projects will create regulatory obstacles that will raise construction costs, delay projects, and stifle demand. Read the full statement from the AGC here.

Missouri Rejects Local Plumbing Code Requirement

Last week, Missouri senators voted to remove legislation requiring the development of local plumbing codes in counties with waterways that run through state or national parks. The proposal was written after the state’s Department of Natural Resources disclosed high levels of E. coli bacteria in the Lake of the Ozarks, caused in part by unregulated septic tanks. Opponents of the requirement said it would be an unreasonable burden on counties and could lead to further state regulation of rural development.

The Future of Cities: Skyscrapers that Purify Water

Indonesian architects have designed a concept skyscraper that they say can clean water from the polluted Ciliwung River in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. Called the Ciliwung Recovery Program, the skyscraper purifies the river water through a system of mega-filters in three stages. In the first stage, polluted water is forced into the building via a network of pipes by utilizing capillary vessel systems. At this stage, garbage is removed from the river water. The second stage eliminates any dangerous contaminants and adds various good minerals to the water, making it safe for the daily needs of the building’s occupants. The third phase reprocesses household waste products into water that is safe to be returned to the river. The self-sufficient building generates energy for itself, including the use of passive technology systems. The skin of the building doubles as a renewable energy generator, and the outer layer generates wind power using wind generators. The building also features a solar reactor on the roof.

Tough New Gas Drilling Wastewater Regulations Introduced in Pennsylvania

On Monday, the Environmental Quality Board approved regulations that will protect waterways from the effects of natural gas drilling wastewater, better enabling Pennsylvania’s Marcellus Shale reserves to be developed without sacrificing the health and quality of the state’s water resources. The new regulations are a measure to ensure that drilling wastewater containing high concentrations of total dissolved solids does not pollute drinking water supplies. Under the new regulations, wastewater discharges from new and expanded facilities must meet a concentration threshold of 2,000 milligrams per liter, and wastewater discharges from drilling operations cannot exceed 500 mg/l. The new rules will move onto the Environmental Resources and Energy Committees in the state House and Senate, as well as to the Independent Regulatory Review Commission, for a 30-day review period.

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WaterAlert, a new service from the U.S. Geological Survey, provides instant, customized updates about current conditions in rivers, lakes, and groundwater in your area when they match conditions of concern to you. WaterAlert provides information about river flows, flooding, groundwater levels, water temperatures, rainfall, and water quality, among other data.

UK Water Saving Week Being Held Next Month

The theme of Water Saving Week 2010, being held June 12–18, is “Three Reasons to Save Water: Save Energy, Save Money, and Be Green.” Supported by the United Kingdom Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, the goal of the event is to raise awareness of the benefits of conserving water at home, in businesses, and at schools. The website offers advice on saving water and facts about water scarcity.