Flight Discount Offered for the 2009 Technical Symposium!

American Airlines is offering a 5% discount off the lowest eligible published airfare to all attendees to the 2009 ASPE/PCA Technical Symposium. The offer is valid October 19ñ28, 2009, for travel to Detroit. Hereís how to take advantage of this great offer:

• Book online at www.AA.com. When booking your flight, input promotional code 45H9AY. The discount is applicable on American Airlines and American Eagle flights only. At this time, there is no ticketing fee for reservations made and ticketed on www.AA.com. 
• Call the American Airlines Meeting Services Desk at 1-800-433-1790. When booking your flight, refer to promotion code 45H9AY. A separate fee of $20 USD per ticket will be charged for tickets purchased via the phone or $30 USD per ticket for tickets purchased at the airport.  This amount is subject to change.

However you place your reservation, just remember to use the promotional code 45H9AY to receive a 5% discount off the lowest eligible published airfare. See you at the Symposium!

2009 Engineering Plumbing Product Show and Tailgate Party Is FREE to All

On Thursday, October 22, from 5 to 8 p.m., ASPE will be holding the Engineered Plumbing Product Show at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn, Michigan, to kick off the 2009 ASPE/PCA Technical Symposium. All plumbing engineers, designers, contractors, and others in the field are invited to meet with manufacturers while munching on burgers, brats, pulled pork sandwiches, and other treats. You may register for this complimentary event on site, so plan on attending with all of your coworkers.

New Grants Manager Joins ASPE

ASPE is pleased to announce that Donna Novickas has joined the staff as ASPEís grants manager. Donnaís background is in grants management and education. Feel free to contact her with grant ideas, information, or funding leads that can be developed to further ASPEís goals. She can be reached at dnovickas@aspe.org or 847-296-0002, ext. 244.

Public Announcement: Final Review of ASPE Design Standard 210

The American Society of Plumbing Engineers' Design Standard Committee for ASPE Standard 210: Rainwater Catchment Design and Installation Standard, in cooperation with the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association, has completed its work and released the final draft of the standard. The ASPE Design Standards Main Committee hereby announces the publication and availability of the final draft, which is now open for public review. You may download Design Standard 210 at aspe.org. Comments may be sent to David Dexter, chair of the Design Standards Committee.

News from New Jersey

ASPEís New Jersey Chapter will be attending the Mid-Atlantic Buildings and Facilities Management Show at the Garden State Exhibit and Convention Center on November 4ñ5. The Chapter VP of Membership, Michael Haines, will be manning a booth along with other chapter members. They will have 20 copies of the Plumbing Engineering and Design Handbook of Tables to give away to people who fill out an ASPE membership application. The chapter thanks its affiliate member company, Cullen Associates, for giving them a free booth to use to recruit new members at the tradeshow.

ASPE Members: You Asked for More CommunicationóNow Use It!

At the 2008 Convention, chapter delegates asked the board of directors for more up-to-date information on their activities, and we responded. Click here to directly contact any ASPE board member, read their monthly newsletters, see what other members are saying, and respond to their comments.

Plumbing for Public Safety: Whatís ASPE Doing About It?

Visit ASPEís blog to learn more about the Societyís campaign to help get sprinkler systems installed in residential properties and read comments from engineers and legislators from around the country.

CPDs: Keep Your Recertification Documents in Order

ASPE conducts biennial CPD audits to ensure that the continuing education recertification requirements are being met. Those audited, at least one per chapter, are selected at random and are required to show proof of CEU credits.

Chapter Officers: Are You Making Your Own Certificates?

Now available in the chapter officers section of aspe.org, you can create and print your own chapter award certificates within minutes with the ASPE Chapter Certificate Creator. Itís easy and only takes a few minutes to produce certificates for your chapter speakers, attendees, honorees, or anything else you want.

Have you visited ASPE e-Learning Courses?

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

September 25: U.S. National Whitewater Center Tour

ASPEís Charlotte Chapter is holding this facility tour and luncheon starting at 11 a.m. Cost is $15. Rafting is available for a reduced rate after the meeting. Contact Scott Steindler to RSVP.

October 1: Dallas-area Product Show

ASPEís Dallas/Ft. Worth Chapterís Product Show will be held at the Ruthe Jackson Center in Grand Prairie, Texas from 5ñ9 p.m. Prior to the show  are three CEU sessions: Understanding Fuel Savings in the Boiler Room, Green Water Treatment Applications and Technologies, and Commercial Plumbing for Water Efficiency. Register online here.

October 2: Dallas-area Golf Outing

ASPEís Dallas/Ft. Worth Chapterís Fall Golf Classic will be held at Prairie Lakes Golf Course in Grand Prairie, Texas. Click here for additional information and registration forms. Hole sponsorships are available.

NEW! Northern California Golf Outing Being Held October 9

ASPEís San Francisco and Northern California Chapters are holding this event at Shadow Lakes Golf Club in Brentwood, California. Cost is $80 per player (includes golf, cart, awards, and raffle). Proceeds benefit the Harry Happ Memorial Scholarship at Cal Poly. To register, contact Wade Sorensen (510-317-8102) by tomorrow.

October 15: Philadelphia Product Show

ASPEís Philadelphia Chapterís product show will be held at the Ramada Philadelphia Airport hotel in Essington, Pennsylvania from 1:45ñ7 p.m. Free one-hour CEU seminars on Revit and rainwater harvesting will be held. Click here for more information.

NEW! Jets/Giants Stadium Tour Being Held October 22

ASPEís New Jersey Chapter has organized a tour of the new Jets/Giants Stadium for the first 15 NJ ASPE members who sign up. The two-hour tour starts at 3:00 p.m. and will include lockers rooms, field, mechanical rooms, suites, seating, and a look at the 3D BIM model that was used for construction. The cost is FREE! You must preregister with Bob Copeland (732-988-9600) by October 15. Details will be given to those who register.

NEW! Kansas City Poker Night Being Held October 23

ASPEís Kansas City Chapterís first annual Poker NightóChip in for Charity is being held at Nara in Kansas City, Missouri. The format will be a no-limit Texas Hold 'em tournament. The buy-in is $30 with proceeds benefitting Community LINC, a local Kansas City charity. Click here for more information.

November 9: Atlanta Product Show

ASPEís Atlanta Chapter is holding this event at the Retreat of Dunwoody from 2 to 8 p.m. Door prizes, hors díoeuvres, and a cash bar will be available at the free product show. Four seminars offering CEUs will be held. Contact Steve Mastley for more information.

November 12: Los Angeles-area Medical Gas System Design Seminar

ASPEís Los Angeles Chapter is offering this seminar from 1 to 4:30 p.m. at UA Local 250 Union Hall and Training Facility in Gardena, California. Cost is $50 for ASPE members and $75 for nonmembers. Registration deadline is October 24. Contact Rich Dickerson for more information.

INDUSTRY NEWS

One in 10 Americans Has Been Exposed to Toxic Drinking Water

A New York Times report has found that the Clean Water Act has been violated more than 506,000 times since 2004, by more than 23,000 companies and other facilities. The violations range from failing to report emissions to dumping toxins at concentrations regulators say might contribute to cancer, birth defects, and other illnesses. The Timesí research also shows that last year, 40 percent of the nationís community water systems violated the Safe Drinking Water Act at least once. Read the full report here.

Home Fires Caused 2,755 Civilian Fire Deaths Last Year

According to U.S. Fire Loss in the United States in 2008 by NFPA, fire departments responded to an estimated 1.5 million fires in 2008. These fires resulted in 3,320 civilian fire fatalities (83 percent of which occurred in the home), 16,705 civilian fire injuries (13,560 of which occurred in residential properties), and an estimated $15.5 billion in direct property loss ($8.6 billion of which occurred in residential properties).

President Seeks National Oversight of Waters

Due to recommendations from the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force, the Obama administration has called for a comprehensive national system for regulating the use of federal waters along the nationís marine and Great Lakes shores, now administered by a hodgepodge of federal, state, or other agencies with often-conflicting goals. Click here to read the full report.

Old Pipes Threaten the Nationís Drinking Water

A report in the Chattanooga Times Free Press has found that ìthe greatest threat to safe drinking water here and across the country is the web of aging pipes that carry the liquid from treatment plants to taps.î The first part of this report discusses potential contaminants that linger in publicly treated water.

IBM Launches Project to Improve Shenyang Water Supplies

Last week, IBM, the City of Shenyang, and China's Northeastern University announced a major smart city collaboration effort to help Shenyang meet its environmental responsibility goals. The effort will focus on advancing technology solutions that will significantly reduce carbon emissions, conserve energy, and manage water efficiently, among other aims. For example, it will apply water management solutions from IBM Research to analyze the data produced from the city's water systems to gain real-time understanding about water quality, energy utilized for water management, and more. Through this analysis, the city will be able to make more proactive decisions about water, cut down on expenses and energy usage related to water management, and maintain high water quality.

Australian Scientists Turn Rainwater into Drinking Water

Scientists at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization have created Recharge, pure drinking water that was once storm water, by using a combination of natural treatment processes and engineered methods. The water first was treated by passing it through a reed bed and then was injected via wells into a limestone aquifer, 160 meters belowground, for storage. The concept involves using separate injection and recovery wells to extend residence time and allow months of natural slow filtration through the aquifer.

EPA Releases List of Potential Drinking Water Contaminants

Emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals and hormones, as well as disinfection byproducts, natural elements, and pesticides, are among the substances on the US EPAís newly released list of potential future drinking water contaminants. Rocket-fuel chemical perchlorate and the chemical used to make Teflon, perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), also are on the final list. Other contaminants on the list include pesticides, herbicides, disinfection byproducts, pharmaceuticals, chemicals used in commerce, waterborne pathogens and algal toxins. The list does not now impose any requirements on public water systems, but it will be the basis for EPAís consideration of what substances could be regulated in the future.

Proposed ICC Code Changes Monograph Is Available

The International Code Council has released a monograph of proposed code changes that will be heard during the November Code Development Hearings. The document and a coupon to order a CD of the monograph are available here. As part of the Councilís green initiatives, it no longer will print and distribute the document or supply printed copies at the hearings. Click here for the 2009/2010 ICC Code Development Hearing schedule.

A. O. Smith to acquire majority interest in Hong Kong water treatment business

A. O. Smith Corp. has signed an agreement to purchase a majority interest in the water treatment business of Tianlong Holding Co. Ltd. of Hong Kong. A newly formed company, A. O. Smith (Shanghai) Water Treatment Products Co. Ltd., will hold the assets of the business and supply reverse osmosis water filtration products to the China residential and commercial markets as well as export markets throughout the world.

ASSE Series 11000 Working Group Needs Participants

The American Society of Sanitary Engineering is forming a working group for the new ASSE Series 11000: Professional Qualifications Standard for High Purity Water Systems Installers. Any interested party, especially installers, inspectors, surveyors, manufacturers, engineers, building owners, code officials, and fire industry personnel, are invited to participate. For more information, contact Marianne Waickman.

Florida Plumbing Gas and Mechanical Inspectors Seminar Starts October 5

The Florida Association of Plumbing Gas and Mechanical Inspectors will be holding their annual seminar October 5ñ9 at the Sheraton Safari Hotel in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Click here for more information.

Canadian Fall Hydronics Training Dates Announced

The Canadian Hydronics Council is holding its two-day ìIntroduction to Hydronic Heating Installationsî course in several locations this fall. The training is suitable for contractors, service technicians, inspectors, wholesale counter staff, manufacturers, designers, engineers, and specifiers who want to better understand how components work within heating systems. Cost is $349 for both days of training. Click here for the registration form.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

New Meter Measures Tank Pressure

  Nitz Associates Inc. announces its TankMeter 1000 Series, which non-intrusively determines pre-charge pressure, liquid volume, and gas pressure inside any tank. It is ideal for fuel, oil, and water systems because the tank does not need to be taken offline, drained, or weighed.  The wireless remote display automatically synchronizes tank information up to a range of 200 feet, holds more than 1,000 readings per tank, and stores data on more than 200 tanks simultaneously.