Come Tailgate with Us Tonight!

Join us for an evening of fun at ASPEís Tailgate Party and Engineered Plumbing Product Exhibition, tonight, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Dearborn, Michigan. All plumbing engineers, designers, contractors, and others in the field are invited to meet with manufacturers and munch 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. Call 313-982-6918 for more information.

Want to Earn Some CEUs This Weekend?

The ASPE/PCA Technical Symposium in Dearborn, Michigan, is an excellent opportunity to earn 15 educational contact hours toward recertification or relicensing. On-site registration is available for single or multiple days of learning and networking at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Click here for daily schedules and directions to the hotel.

Attention Symposium Attendees!

• Please be aware that several roads around the Hyatt Regency Dearborn are under construction. Driving directions to the Hyatt to bypass the construction can be found at www.aspe.org.
• The Friday and Saturday luncheons will be held in the Grand Ballroom Springwells Room at the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

ASPE College of Fellows Is Accepting Nominations

The ASPE Kenneth G. Wentink College of Fellows honors ASPE members of established reputation who have made significant, sustained contributions to the plumbing engineering profession, the Society, or the plumbing industry in the areas of contracting or manufacturing. Any Society member may nominate any other member, but members may not nominate themselves. Click here for more information and nomination forms.

EDUCATIONAL AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

October 23: Kansas City Poker Night

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.

NEW! Interim Meeting to Form Seattle Chapter Being Held Nov. 10

The second interim meeting to form the Seattle Chapter will be at the Rock Bottom Brewery at 5:30 p.m. Contact Kevin Jones 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.

December 10: Phoenix Product Show

 ASPEís Phoenix Chapter, with the ASHRAE Central Arizona Chapter, are holding this event at the El Zaribah Shrine Auditorium from 5ñ8 p.m. A free buffet, cash bar, and technical sessions with PDH credit will be offered. Contact Ben Madsen for more information. 

INDUSTRY NEWS

Showerheads May Harbor Germs that Cause Lung Disease

A new University of Colorado study suggests that ordinary showerheads are awash in germs, particularly a type that can cause lung disease in people whose immune systems are compromised. An analysis of showerheads in nine U.S. cities found that about 30 percent contained high levels of Mycobacterium aviumóbacteria that can cause lung infections when inhaled or swallowed. The researchers said the bacteria levels were 100 times higher than those found in typical household water.

ExxonMobil Found Liable for Contaminating New York City's Drinking Water Supply

A federal jury has unanimously held ExxonMobil liable for contaminating New York City's drinking water supply with the gasoline additive MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether). The jury awarded the City of New York a total of $105 million in compensatory damages after an 11-week trial. MTBE is classified by EPA as a potential human carcinogen. It has been banned in more than 25 states because of its adverse effects on drinking water. New York City filed the case in 2003 against 23 major oil companies. The lawsuit claimed that the companies are responsible for MTBE contaminating drinking water wells in Queens, which are part of the city's supplemental drinking water supply system. Several of the nation's largest oil companies previously settled New York City's claims against them before the trial started.

California Passes Bill to Encourage Storm Water Reuse

Governor Schwarzenegger has approved SB 790, also known as the Storm Water Resource Planning Act. SB 790 creates a new framework encouraging California municipalities to address the storm water issues in a new way. It encourages municipalities to manage storm water for beneficial uses such as augmenting water supply, preventing floods, mitigating storm water pollution, creating green space, and enhancing wildlife habitat.

IAPMO Is Seeking Technical Committee Members

IAPMO is seeking volunteers to participate on two Technical Committees working toward the development of the 2012 editions of the Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa, and Hot Tub Code and Uniform Solar Energy Code. You can find more information at IAPMOís Code Development webpage.

New Report Shows the Benefits of Home Fire Sprinklers

The home fire sprinkler ordinance effective since 1992 in Prince George's County, Maryland, has had a significant impact on life-safety and reduction of property damage, according to a new study released by the Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition. The study, produced in cooperation with the University of Maryland, analyzed Prince George's County's experience with its single-family dwelling fire sprinkler ordinance over the 15-year period of 1992-2007. During the 15-year period, there were 13,494 house fires with 101 deaths and 328 injuries in homes that were not protected with fire sprinklers. There were no deaths in the homes protected with home fire sprinklers. The average property loss after a fire with fatalities in an unsprinklered residence was 10 times more costly than a fire in homes protected with a fire sprinkler system.

No Toilet, No Bride

In rural India, many young women are refusing to marry men who do not have a bathroom in their home. Since a ìNo Toilet, No Brideî campaign began two years, 1.4 million toilets have been installed, causing womenís rights activists to call the program a revolution.  

WaterSense Releases Final Specification for Flushing Urinals

With the release of the Flushing Urinals Final Specification, EPA's WaterSense program has given manufacturers who produce urinal fixtures and flushing devices meeting EPAís efficiency and performance criteria, the opportunity to earn the WaterSense label. You can review the Flushing Urinals Fact Sheet for more information.

Building Energy Use Highlighted in Newest ASHRAE Certification Program

To ensure that professionals modeling a buildingís energy use have the skills necessary to produce an accurate model, ASHRAE is launching a Building Energy Modeling Professional certification. The first exam for the new certification program will be administered on Jan. 27, 2010, at the Winter Conference in Orlando, Florida. To register for the exam, visit www.ashrae.org/BEMP.

IAPMO Standards Council Issues TIAs

The IAPMO Standards Council has issued two Tentative Interim Amendments affecting the 2009 Uniform Mechanical Code. TIA UMC-004-09 adds maximum air velocity for grease ducts to Section 511.2.1 of the UMC. UMC-005-09 strikes language from and adds new footnotes to UMC Table 11-2, Permissible Refrigeration Systems. Click here to examine the TIAs in their entirety.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Low-flow Vitreous China Fixtures Now Available

Sloan Valve now offers vitreous china fixtures that may be paired with its water-efficient, sensor-operated faucets in three sink types: wall-hung, undermount, and drop-in. These sinks work with Sloanís sensor-operated, deck-mount faucets that have water flows as low as 0.5 gallon of water per minute.

Backflow Preventer Manufacturer Certified by NSF to NSF Annex G

Wilkins, a Zurn Co., is the first backflow preventer manufacturer certified by NSF to NSF/ANSI Standard 61: Drinking Water System Components Health Effects and Annex G low-lead requirements, developed to help protect the public from exposure to lead.