Plumbers Site Offers Straight Talk
The Plumbing Manufacturers Institute (PMI) recently launched a new microsite -- SafePlumbing.org -- with the goal of updating some leaky old ideas about plumbing fixtures and fittings.
Tackling tough topics such as lead in drinking water and the performance of low-flow toilets, SafePlumbing.org is designed for lawmakers, journalists, trade professionals, and homeowners who seek straight talk about issues that tend to generate a lot of emotion.
"We called it the safest place for information about plumbing on the Internet, because we want SafePlumbing.org to be a trusted resource for truthful information about clean drinking water, water conservation and efficiency, and home safety," said Barbara C. Higgens, executive director of PMI. Higgens added that the site would also help keep influencers up to date on technology breakthroughs, especially where such innovations can advance social concerns.
"We expect people will be surprised to learn that plumbing manufacturers - our PMI members - have actually been instigating legislation to advance the cause of greater efficiency in the use of water," she said. "We do it because we know our products can deliver what customers want and still save water."
Besides separate pages on Clean Water, Water Efficiency, and Health & Safety, SafePlumbing.org also features a detailed glossary of terms, as well as a guide to product markings on plumbing products. One interesting article, available for download, documents what happened when PMI members recently retrofitted homes in the drought-stricken town of Orme, Tenn. Using the latest water-efficiency products added six hours per day of water usage time within the daily trucked-in allotments.