ASPE Reorganizes Its Staff to Focus on Education

Cliff Reis is now ASPE’s director of meetings and education, as well as the managing director. Working with Cliff are Jinnie Yoo, our new meetings coordinator, and Pam Newman, who has joined ASPE as our education coordinator.

Registration for the CPD Exam Opens Tomorrow

The 2010 exam will be held April 16 or 17 in electronic format only, and 200 testing sites are available throughout the U.S. and Canada. Full members are automatically approved to sit for the exam. The deadline to register is March 19. Click here to register online and to download the CPD Bulletin. Contact ASPE’s Director of Membership Stacey Kidd for additional information.

PS&D Seeks Articles on Heat Tracing and Siphonic Roof Drainage

If you are interested in contributing a design-oriented feature article on either topic, contact Gretchen Pienta.

Members: Don’t Miss Out on Your Copy of PEDH Volume 1

All members in good standing will receive Volume 1 of the Plumbing Engineering Design Handbook. If you have not renewed your membership, do so now to receive your copy. Don’t forget: If you’re unable to pay your membership dues due to the current state of the economy but want to maintain your membership, please contact ASPE’s Director of Membership Stacey Kidd to discuss your options.

Will You Be at the Biggest Plumbing Industry Event of 2010?

ASPE is considering going green for its 2010 Convention and EPE. Would this initiative encourage you to attend? What else would you like to see at this year’s event? Send your thoughts to creis@aspe.org.

Want to Present a Session at the ASPE Convention?

ASPE is soliciting presentation proposals for the 2010 Convention. For more information or to submit a proposal, contact Education Director Cliff Reis.

The First ASPE Webinar for 2010 Is on January 13

“BIM: Content Creation for Plumbing BIM Models Using Revit MEP 2010” will teach participants how to create and use custom riser assemblies, modify out-of-the-box plumbing fixtures for scheduling purposes, and create customized families to help with plumbing calculations. Click here to register.

View the Chapter Building Foundation Plaque at Our Open House, January 22

ASPE will be unveiling the Chapter Building Foundation Plaque at its official Open House at the new ASPE headquarters (2980 S. River Road in Des Plaines, Illinois). If you are in the Chicago area, please join us from 4–7 p.m.

Alfred Steele Scholarship Deadline Is January 31

This scholarship is limited to ASPE members and their immediate families who have a GPA of 3.0 or higher who are in or plan to attend a college, university, or technical school on a full-time basis (minimum 12 credit hours), enrolled in an engineering program. Contact ASPE’s Director of Membership Stacey Kidd for additional information.

REMINDER: You May Not Use the Designation CIPE

Certified in Plumbing Engineering (CIPE) is a trademark owned by ASPE, and the Society no longer permits its use. Certified in Plumbing Design (CPD) has replaced CIPE in all cases. Please don’t force ASPE to take you to court over four letters.

ASPE College of Fellows Application Deadline Extended to March 31

Click here for the nomination forms and more information about the College.

ASPE Archived Webinars Offer CEUs

Click here to access ASPE archived webinars, which allows you to view and listen to previously recorded events at a time that is most convenient for you. Pay a small fee to earn quick CEUs.

EDUCATIONAL AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES

January 6: CPD Review Classes Start in Rochester

A group of designers in the Rochester, New York, area will be holding CPD review sessions every other Wednesday from 5:30–7 p.m. at M/E Engineering P.C. (150 North Chestnut Street, Rochester). Contact Bonnie McClellan for more information.

January 12: Interim Meeting for Proposed Seattle Chapter

The third and final interim meeting for the proposed ASPE Seattle Chapter will be held at the Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown Seattle from 5:30–8:30 p.m. For more information, contact Patrick Cooper.

January 16: Omaha After-Holiday Party

ASPE's Omaha Chapter is holding its annual After-Holiday Party at Valentino's from 7:30–9 p.m., followed by bowling next door at Maplewood Lanes promptly at 9:30 p.m. Contact Mike Gregory to RSVP.

February 6: Central Florida Paintball Battle

ASPE’s Central Florida Chapter is holding this all-day event at Full-Throttle Paintball in Lake Helen, Florida. Anyone over the age of 10 is invited. Cost is $40. RSVP to Chris Farr.

February 17: Denver Tabletop Product Show

ASPE’s Denver Chapter is holding its Tabletop Product Show tentatively on February 17. Those interested in reserving a table should contact Trevor Bromberg.

NEW! Philadelphia Hockey Night Being Held March 7

Join ASPE’s Philadelphia Chapter as the Philadelphia Flyers take on the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sunday, March 7 at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $25, and you must RSVP by February 5. Contact Dawn Bishop for more information.

April 7: Houston Product Show

ASPE’s Houston Chapter’s Product Show will be held in the Pavilion Center of the Sam Houston Race Park from 4:00–8:30 p.m. Contact Jim Ivey (713-780-1600) for more information.

April 15:  Chicago Product Show

ASPE’s Chicago Chapter will be holding its annual Product Show at the White Eagle in Niles, Illinois. More information will be available soon.

April 30: Baltimore Golf Outing

ASPE’s Baltimore Chapter will hold its annual Golf Outing at the Timbers at Troy in Elkridge, Maryland. All proceeds go toward the Baltimore Chapter of ASPE Engineering Scholarship. Click here for a registration form or contact David Goodell for participation and/or sponsorship information.

May 11: Central Florida Product Show

ASPE’s Central Florida Chapter, in conjunction with ASHRAE, will be holding its annual Product Show at the Orange County Fairgrounds. More information will be available soon.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Teach a Child About Engineering: National Engineers Week Is Feb. 14–21

At the National Engineers Week Foundation website, you can find numerous grade-appropriate activities to help kids in your area discover the engineering profession and relate the practical applications of math, science, and engineering to the world around them.

New Hampshire and Pennsylvania Adopt Residential Fire Sprinkler Requirement

Last month, both New Hampshire and Pennsylvania voted to adopt the 2009 International Residential Code, becoming the first two states to require fire sprinklers in new homes and townhomes beginning in 2012.

Your Legal Tap Water May Kill You

In the latest article in its Toxic Waters series, the New York Times reports that the Safe Drinking Water Act regulates only 91 contaminants, yet hundreds more chemicals used in the United States known to cause cancer and other diseases have been found in drinking water supplies.

Miami Hotel Cleared in Legionnaire’s Cases

The Miami-Dade County Health Department has determined that the Epic Hotel was not the source of a fatal strain of Legionnaire's disease that killed two guests. However, the source of the bacteria is still unknown.

Almost Half of U.S. Lakes Are Sub-par

The U.S. EPA’s National Lakes Assessment rates the condition of 56 percent of the lakes in the United States as good and the remainder as fair or poor. Degraded lakeshore habitat, due to the removal of trees and shrubs and construction along shorelines, was the most significant of the problems assessed. Nitrogen and phosphorous are found at high levels in 20 percent of lakes, contributing to algae blooms, weed growth, reduced water clarity, and other lake problems. The survey included a comparison to a subset of lakes with wastewater impacts that were sampled in the 1970s. It finds that 75 percent show either improvements or no change in phosphorus levels, which suggests that the nation's investments in wastewater treatment and other pollution control activities are working, despite population increases across the country.

Does Chlorine Pose a Terror Risk?

Environmentalists are challenging U.S. lawmakers to write laws that would force high-risk facilities such as water treatment plants to find alternatives to chlorine, which they say poses a safety risk when large amounts are transported via rail. Read more here.

Student Files Suit over Co-ed Bathrooms

A female freshman has sued Green Mountain College in Poultney, Vermont, because no single-sex bathrooms are provided in her co-ed dorm, which she claims violates the state’s building and plumbing codes. Read more here.

The EPA Wants to Be Your Facebook Friend

Water Is Worth It was created to provide a public forum to share information, encourage discussion, and raise awareness about the value of water and water-related resources. The agency says it will regularly post information and discussion topics, which users can have delivered to their virtual door by becoming a fan of the page. Current posts include discussions on leaky pipes and water and conflict.

Hydraulic Institute Releases New Standards

Three new ANSI standards are now available on the Institute’s website: ANSI/HI 1.1-1.2 (2008): Rotodynamic (Centrifugal) Pumps for Nomenclature and Definitions, ANSI/HI 9.6.5 (2009): Rotodynamic (Centrifugal and Vertical) Pumps—Guideline for Condition Monitoring, and ANSI/HI 9.6.6 (2009): Pump Piping for Rotodynamic Pumps.