PMI collaborates with the Alliance for Water Efficiency at Greenbuild and beyond
For Immediate Release
ROLLING MEADOWS, ILLINOIS (OCTOBER 16, 2009) — United in their goal to develop water efficient and sustainable plumbing products, systems and practices, the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute (PMI) expands its collaboration with the Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE). AWE will join PMI at Greenbuild 2009, booth #3746, to promote their shared initiatives and activities for water conservation and waste reduction.
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PMI also will be featuring its educational Web site,
SafePlumbing.org, which presents news and information about drinking water, conservation, health and safety. This convenient, online resource gives lawmakers, journalists, industry professionals and homeowners fast access to research findings, scientific data and industry facts.
“We are delighted to participate in this year’s Greenbuild Conference with PMI,” says AWE Executive Director Mary Ann Dickinson. “It is important for the green building industry to see that efficiency advocates and plumbing manufacturers can work closely together. Such cooperation will result in more efficient products in the marketplace, greater consumer awareness of their use, and greener buildings being constructed,” she adds.
“Our partnership with AWE started with the Alliance’s formation,” says PMI Executive Director Barbara C. Higgens. “PMI is a charter member in AWE and we represent 12 shared members. Early this year, our organizations joined with three others to establish the Plumbing Efficiency Research Coalition. We value this important relationship as we work together to achieve our vision. We’re pleased to be at Green Build with AWE.”
Known as PERC, the Coalition supports research projects that support efficient use of water, public safety and product performance. Along with PMI and AWE, the three additional PERC founding organizations are the International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials (IAPMO), the International Code Council (ICC), and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association (PHCC). PERC’s inaugural research study will explore drainline transport efficacy. Special consideration will be given to the impact of High Efficiency Toilets (HETs), which reduce water consumption volume to 1.28 gallons per flush.
“As members of the
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), we know that 5 billion gallons of potable water are used each day solely to flush toilets. LEED 2009 Water Use Reduction requirements call for strategies that use 20 percent less water in plumbing fixtures, fittings and appliances, such as WaterSense-labeled products” says Higgens. “In residences, more than half of all indoor water use takes place in bathrooms and kitchens, making improved water efficiency in plumbing products central to our nation’s water conservation effort.”
Higgens cautions that, like most other green building efforts, these plumbing products need to be considered as part of a systematic approach to water conservation. She explains, “Increasingly efficient, water consuming appliances will further reduce the amount of water discharged into sanitary waste systems. Many plumbing experts are concerned that we are at or approaching a ‘tipping point’ where a significant number of sanitary waste systems will be affected by drainline transport problems, especially in larger commercial systems that have long horizontal runs to the sewer.”
PMI and AWE expect PERC’s research to provide a better understanding of these integrated issues through computer modeling, laboratory testing and field testing. Higgens adds, “Greenbuild gives us the opportunity to talk with, and to learn from, the professionals who make critical decisions about residential and commercial buildings’ water use and efficiency, health, safety, quality and environmental sustainability.”
This is PMI’s third year as an exhibitor at the USGBC’s annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. The 2009 expo will be held in Phoenix, Nov. 11-13. More than one-third of PMI’s members also will be exhibiting their water efficient products.
About AWE:
The Alliance for Water Efficiency (AWE) is a stakeholder-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the efficient and sustainable use of water. Located in Chicago, the Alliance serves as a North American advocate for water efficient products and programs, and provides information and assistance on water conservation efforts. Learn more at
www.AllianceForWaterEfficiency.org.
About PMI:
The Plumbing Manufacturers Institute is the voluntary, not-for-profit, international industry association of manufacturers of plumbing products, serving as the Voice of the Plumbing Industry. Member companies produce a substantial quantity of the nation’s plumbing products.
PMI Mission Statement:
- To promote the water efficiency, health, safety, quality and environmental sustainability of plumbing products, while maximizing consumer choice and value in a fair and open marketplace.
- To provide a forum for the exchange of information and industry education.
- To represent openly the member’s interests and advocate for sound environmental and public health policies in the regulatory/legislative processes.
- To enhance the plumbing industry’s growth and expansion.
Plumbing Manufacturers Institute
1921 Rohlwing Rd., Unit G, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008, U.S.A. • Tel: 847-481-5500 • Fax: 847-481-5501
www.PMIhome.org •
www.SafePlumbing.org
Contacts:
Barbara C. Higgens, executive director, Plumbing Manufacturers Institute,
bhiggens@pmihome.org, 847-481-5500
Heather West, media contact,
heather@heatherwestpr.com, 612-724-8760