As you read through each of the IAPMO Group director's reports, one common theme you may have noticed is that of growth. From the new facility in Southern California to the introduction of additional publications, The IAPMO Group experienced tremendous growth over the past 12 months.

In the preceding issue of this magazine, I reported to you that the newest facility - known as World Headquarters West - is now open for business. At their recent meeting, the IAPMO Board of Directors made plans for a formal dedication of the new facility. That Dedication will take place on Nov. 12, 2010, and we welcome all members who will be in the area to participate in this historic event. Some very special guests will be present for the Dedication, where the new Board Room will be named in honor of Ken Carlson, current secretary of the Board of Directors. For those of you who are unaware, Ken is living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He and his courageous wife, Cathy, have been involved with IAPMO for more than 20 years. In all my travels, I have met few individuals who are as kind and as supportive as Ken. He has given a tremendous amount of his time and expertise to serving IAPMO and its mission.  For this reason, President Bob Siemsen and the Board decided to name the Board Room at WHQ West in his honor.

Along with this dedication, the Ron Ridenour Training Room will again be unveiled to the public. Over time, staff and the laboratory at WHQ East grew, causing a temporary close of the training room. I am pleased to report that the new facility now serves as home to an improved Ron Ridenour Training Room, which is capable of hosting more than 100 students in a classroom setting. And just inside the entrance to this training room hangs a photo of our late friend, Ron Ridenour. This Dedication will be a special event, indeed.

On the heels of the release of the 2009 Uniform Codes last year, IAPMO also introduced to the industry the new Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement. This publication complements both the Uniform Plumbing Code® and Uniform Mechanical Code® and any other plumbing and mechanical code already in use. Various states and jurisdictions are reviewing the Supplement for use with their established codes, including the state of Illinois.
Provisions within the Supplement have also caught the attention of India and Abu Dhabi, where technical experts are reviewing ways in which the Supplement can be adopted in those regions of the world.
 
The IAPMO Field representatives work tirelessly to support the various IAPMO Chapters located around the world. Over the past year, they worked toward the formation of additional chapters, including Eastern Pennsylvania, Western Pennsylvania, Hays Kansas, Northwest Pennsylvania Piping Professionals, Michigan Pipe Trades and New Jersey Plumbers Alliance. Chapter meetings have continued to provide continuing education, networking opportunities and general support to those who attend on a regular basis. There are now 61 chapters located around the world. If you have not yet attended a local meeting, I encourage you to do so.
 
I'm pleased to say that 2010 has been a very successful year for IAPMO on the domestic front. To date, 32 states have adopted one or more of the 2009 editions of the Uniform Plumbing Code®, Uniform Mechanical Code®, Uniform Solar Energy Code® and Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code® (Please refer to the Field Managers' reports for individual states), as well as one or more of IAPMO's Standards. Where there isn't a statewide code, hundreds of local jurisdictions have or will be adopting the IAPMO Codes. The IAPMO Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement has received a great deal of interest throughout the United States and the field managers have been giving presentations about the supplement.

There are now 10 field managers throughout the United States and U.S. Virgin Islands. I am happy to report that in April, IAPMO hired Bob Carpenter to work in Region 8, which covers the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee.

All the field managers report that with the adoption of the IAPMO codes there is a need for IAPMO educational seminars in which they promote and assist at the local level. Many of the field managers have assisted the various IAPMO business units in promoting and attaining new customers for IAPMO R&T and IAPMO ES. In addition, the Drinking Water and Backflow Prevention training has seen an increase of market share with the assistance of the field managers. The field managers have been very active attending the chapter meetings in their regions and promoting new IAPMO memberships, giving presentations, keeping the chapters informed about the code adoption process and otherwise assisting the chapters as needed.

Over the past year, IAPMO learned a lot in reaching out to the IAPMO membership.  One important lesson learned was regarding the method of delivery of Official magazine. Many of you shared your pride in showing a printed version of the magazine to colleagues, bosses and others. Some of you shared how pleased you were to receive the digital copy as a result of living on the road - something I can relate to. In the end, a decision was made to provide you with both a printed copy of the magazine and the digital online version. There are numerous benefits to both formats, depending on your line of work.

For those of you who are in design, plan check and other technical positions, a digital version of a publication can be quite helpful. Thus, IAPMO is in the process of developing an improved digital format of all of its Uniform Codes. By the first quarter of 2011, the following codes will be available in the new digital format:

• California Plumbing Code
• California Mechanical Code
• Uniform Plumbing Code®
• Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement
• Uniform Mechanical Code®
• Uniform Solar Energy Code®
• Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code®

Over the past year, work continued on the development of the 2012 UPC and UMC.  The Call for Comments on these codes will be announced by October, asking that all comments be received by Jan. 4, 2011.

IAPMO continues to work with GreenPlumbers® USA to promote its educational and personnel certification program throughout the United States and in both India and China. New staff member Megan Lehtonen, director of Business Development, will continue to support these efforts.

This past year has brought an increased awareness that IAPMO R&T needed to be more sensitive to its clients' needs, especially given that many of the clients continue to struggle with the economic uncertainty prevalent in many regions throughout the world.  Consequently, IAPMO R&T staff has tried to maintain its direct and indirect costs so as to minimize any major price increase for our various services. IAPMO R&T continues to be recognized worldwide as a leading certifier of plumbing, mechanical and electro-plumbing products.

The 2009/2010 calendar was the busiest time for the IAPMO R&T Laboratory with respect to testing per the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) WaterSense® and the California Lead Law. The California Lead Law became mandatory on Jan. 1, 2010, and this has increased the amount of testing in order to verify compliance. I must also add the EPA specification testing has significantly increased and is creating a marketing advantage for manufacturers when their products comply with the EPA specifications. The lab has also been providing a great deal of testing with respect to grey water systems. The reason for this increase is primarily due to water conservation, which has affected the industry at large this past year.

I continue to remain optimistic with regard to the continued contribution the international business units make to the plumbing and mechanical industries in their respective countries. IAPMO is proud to maintain a very close relationship with the leadership and members of the Indian Plumbing Association (IPA). The IPA leadership makes invaluable contributions to their country. IAPMO has also nurtured very good relationships with numerous trade organizations in Australia and continues to explore ways to add value to the industry. Both the Beijing office and China laboratory continue to grow rapidly and I have significant optimism that these business interests will continue their steep level of growth in the coming year.

IAPMO has been involved with a major US AID project, assisting the country of Jordan in developing the UPC of Jordan, as well as instructing the industry representatives on the requirements of this new code. This project has progressed steadily, which has brought increased recognition to IAPMO and the value contained in the Uniform Plumbing Code® - an American National Standard.

IAPMO has continued to support the good work of the World Plumbing Council over the past year. In the Spring of 2010, IAPMO and the World Plumbing Council co-hosted the Second International Emerging Technologies Symposium in Ontario, Calif. Plans are underway for the Third Symposium to be held in 2012. If you missed the Symposium, the video sessions are posted on IAPMO's YouTube channel, www.youtube.com/IAPMOGroup.

Perhaps one of the most exciting projects introduced by the World Plumbing Council over the past year was the inaugural World Plumbing Day. Held on March 11, the Day was established to share with the general public the important work that plumbers do. Although many of us in developed countries take plumbing for granted, the work that plumbers do is more important than many realize. This concept was introduced in 2010 and events took place around the globe to spread the word, including lectures given at schools by the WPC and IAPMO representatives. Visit www.worldplumbingday.org to learn more. Plans are already underway for the celebration in 2011.

Plumbers do so much more than repair leaking pipes. Plumbers protect the health and safety of society. Plumbers deliver fresh water. Some would argue that a plumber is a hero. This past year also brought with it another natural disaster, with the massive earthquake that struck Haiti. Following this tragedy, Board Member Jed Scheuermann - a plumber - offered his expertise so that a major medical center in Port-au-Prince would have potable water. He was successful in his efforts and was able to offer something to this decimated area that it previously lacked. Jed¹s story can be found in the March/April 2010 issue of Official and he will share his story with those in attendance at the Opening Session at Conference in Seattle.

A tremendous amount of growth has taken place over the past year. The Uniform Plumbing Code continues to be the most widely referenced and adopted plumbing code in the world, protecting more than 50 percent of the world's population. I look forward to seeing many of you at Conference in Seattle.