January 2025

By Belinda Wise, PMI Board of Directors President, Neoperl US

To be entrusted with the leadership of an organization that has stood strong for 70 years is a privilege I do not take lightly. I am deeply aware of the responsibility and of the tremendous legacy of those who came before me, with special thanks to my immediate predecessor Chip Way.

Our association has been at the heart of shaping and driving the plumbing fixture and fittings manufacturing industry. For seven decades, we have weathered economic cycles, embraced technological advances, and helped guide our members through regulatory changes and shifting market demands. Today, we stand at a new crossroads, and while we celebrate our past, our focus must be firmly fixed on the future.

The world of manufacturing is undergoing rapid transformation. Globalization, supply chain volatility, digitalization, and workforce dynamics are challenges we face daily. From geopolitical tensions that affect raw material flows to the growing importance of sustainability in our operations, it’s clear that the landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace.

And with a new federal government administration settling in this month, our world will continue to transform. However, these challenges present opportunities, if we are prepared to embrace them with agility, collaboration and innovation. The key to our success lies in our ability to stay ahead of the curve, anticipate change, be proactive, and lead with vision.

As your new president, I want to outline three important areas where I believe we need to continue to focus over the next few years.

Technology and innovation: The fourth industrial revolution—characterized by AI, automation and smart manufacturing—is already here. We must accelerate the adoption of new technologies within our industry. As an association, we will prioritize partnerships with technology innovators, create more educational programs around digital transformation, and provide our members with the resources to future-proof their businesses.

Sustainability and green manufacturing: Manufacturing has a critical role to play in the global push for sustainability. Our association must take a leadership position in promoting sustainable practices—whether that’s through reducing carbon emissions, optimizing energy use, or developing circular economy models. Our Rethink Water initiative will continue to advocate for policies that support clean, safe water for future generations, and we will work with our members to implement real, impactful changes.

Workforce development and talent retention: The workforce is the backbone of our industry, and as we face a generational shift, we must ensure that we’re attracting, retaining and upskilling talent for the future. We’ll launch initiatives aimed at promoting manufacturing careers to young people, investing in training programs, and fostering diversity in our workforce. We need the best minds from all walks of life to continue driving innovation and growth. I am especially passionate about getting young women interested in STEM careers.

But we cannot do this alone. It will require strong collaboration within our industry and with our sister associations, government partners, and each of you. As president, I will work to ensure that our association continues to be the voice of plumbing fixture and fittings manufacturing at every level, advocating for smart regulation, fair trade practices, and innovation-friendly environments.

In addition, I encourage all of us to leverage the power of our collective network. The strength of our association lies in the knowledge and experience of each and every one of you. I look forward to fostering even greater collaboration among our members, facilitating the exchange of ideas, and creating platforms where we can work together to solve the challenges of today and tomorrow.

In closing, I want to reiterate my deep gratitude for the opportunity to serve as your president. The plumbing fixture and fittings manufacturing industry has always been a pillar of innovation, resilience, and economic growth. It is our responsibility to ensure it continues to thrive for another 70 years, adapting to new realities while staying true to our core values.

I look forward to working with all of you as we embark on this exciting new chapter, including the PMI25 Manufacturing Success Conference, Nov. 3-6, in Chicago! Together, I am confident that we will not only face the challenges of the future but shape the future itself.

By Kerry Stackpole, FASAE, CAE, PMI CEO/Executive Director

In the late 1980s, I came across a book that forever changed how I thought about the world to come. Shoshana Zuboff’s “In the Age of the Smart Machine: the Future of Work and Power” is that landmark book. Zuboff, now professor emeritus of the Harvard Business School, anticipated many of the transformative changes wrought by the digital revolution. A pioneering work in the fields of digital economics and the sociology of technology, Zuboff’s analysis foresaw how computerization would reshape not only work but also the nature of power and control in organizations and society. Her work stands out for its foresight in identifying both the opportunities and risks posed by new digital technologies, making it especially relevant in the context of today’s economy, which is increasingly defined by artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and surveillance capitalism.

A key concept that Zuboff introduced is “informating,” a term she coined to describe the dual capacity of computers to automate tasks while also generating detailed information about those tasks. This process is distinct from simple automation, which replaces human labor with machines. Informating involves a deeper level of change: as computers perform tasks, they also collect, process and disseminate information about the processes they control, allowing for new forms of analysis and decision-making.

Zuboff argued that this new capability would lead to profound shifts in the workplace. Managers would be able to track every aspect of production while workers would be monitored and assessed with a level of precision that was previously unimaginable. This idea foreshadowed the rise of modern data-driven industries, in which companies extract and analyze vast amounts of information about their operations, employees and customers. Today, technologies such as big data analytics, machine learning, and AI operate in exactly the ways Zuboff predicted, transforming how businesses function and how individuals are governed within organizations.

Her insights into the relationship between technology and power are among the most prescient aspects of “In the Age of the Smart Machine.” She observed that the spread of computerization would create a new power dynamic within the workplace, with those who controlled information—often managers and executives—gaining disproportionate power over those who simply produced work.

In the digital age, this power asymmetry has extended beyond the confines of the workplace and into society at large. Today’s digital platforms—such as Google, Facebook, Amazon, and other tech giants—exercise immense control by harvesting data from users and monetizing this information. This shift toward what Zuboff would later describe as “surveillance capitalism” is rooted in the dynamics she identified in the 1980s. Companies now use sophisticated algorithms to analyze user behavior and predict future actions, allowing them to manipulate consumers and shape their choices in ways that are often invisible.

As modern-day automation grows, the tasks that were once performed by human workers are being supplemented by computers and AI, reducing the need for expertise and autonomy among employees. This is particularly evident in fields such as retail, customer service, and logistics, where automation has simplified roles, making them more routinized and reducing the need for human judgment and creativity. Zuboff’s concerns about the potential for technology to diminish the human experience of work have only grown more urgent with the rise of gig economy platforms and the increasing use of AI to make managerial decisions.

Another aspect of Zuboff’s work that appears particularly prophetic is her discussion of the loss of autonomy and privacy because of pervasive digital surveillance. Today, this concern extends far beyond the workplace. The rise of ubiquitous digital surveillance in everyday life—from smart devices in homes to GPS tracking on smartphones—has brought these warnings to the forefront of public debate.

Her analysis of the “panoptic” nature of digital surveillance—a reference to philosopher Jeremy Bentham’s concept of the panopticon, in which prisoners are always observed but never know when they are being watched—anticipates contemporary concerns about how tech companies and governments use data to monitor and control individuals. As companies collect vast amounts of data on consumers, workers and citizens, the balance of power has shifted toward those who own and manage these technologies, echoing predictions about the centralization of power in the digital age.

“In the Age of the Smart Machine” is not only a commentary on the technologies of the 1980s; it provides a visionary framework for understanding the deep and lasting impact of digital technologies on work, society and power structures. Zuboff’s concept of informating, her analysis of the changing nature of power dynamics in the workplace, and her warnings about the potential for surveillance and loss of autonomy have all been borne out in the decades since the book’s publication in 1988.

As we navigate the challenges of AI, automation and surveillance capitalism in the 21st century, Zuboff’s insights remain as relevant as ever. Her work serves as both a warning and a guide to the ethical and social dilemmas posed by our increasingly digital world, making her one of the most prescient thinkers of our day. For plumbing manufacturing leaders, her work illuminates the urgency and extreme importance of making good and responsible choices now and in the future.

By Judy Wohlt, PMI Communications Team, Valek and Co.

Experts at the PMI24 Manufacturing Success Conference shared information to help plumbing manufacturers navigate the many per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) rules and regulations spreading across the country. They discussed new reporting deadlines, methods for testing for PFAS in products and manufacturing processes, and various destruction technologies.

Businesses preparing to meet the Environmental Protection Agency’s rule on PFAS reporting and recordkeeping requirements under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) have gained more time to comply, said Cally Edgren, vice president of regulatory and sustainability at Assent. The EPA announced in September that the reporting period, originally scheduled to begin Nov. 12, 2024, will begin in July 2025, because of budget constraints. The EPA requires companies to submit PFAS manufacturing and importing data for each year from 2011 to 2022, including PFAS incorporated into imported articles.

Edgren, who moderated a PFAS destruction technologies panel at PMI24, shared an update on PFAS laws in various states, noting that “Minnesota is what I would consider the most aggressive at the state level about PFAS.” State laws will likely continue being developed because states need PFAS remediation funding for their own efforts, she added.

Where to start testing

Deciding where to start testing for PFAS in products and processes can be daunting, said Sarahann Rackl, Ph.D., principal engineer in the environmental and health science practice at Exponent. “Take a step back and understand what your products are and do,” she said. “What are your personal product stewardship objectives? Where has your company come out with respect to chemicals of concern?”

Products with a lot of human exposure should take high priority, Dr. Rackl said. Her company does exposure simulation testing for clients that have complex products or use a lot of raw materials, she explained. For example, “If you have water that flows through a finished product, we might do a corrosion simulation test, run the water through and do a composite sample to confirm there’s no exposure to PFAS,” Dr. Rackl said. Or, her company might do a leach test on a plumbing fixture that requires a lot of human contact on the product’s exterior.

Dr. Rackl suggested plumbing manufacturers hire a lawyer who works with an expert consultant to test wastewater and waste streams for PFAS. For companies wondering if they must test everything, Edgren suggested reading each regulation on its own—depending on where they do business in the country.

Choosing wastewater treatments and disposal methods

Many methods exist for the removal and disposal of PFAS from wastewater. However, treatment technology should be based on water chemistry, explained Lingke Zeng, project director at Civil and Environmental Consultants.

She shared a decision-tree tool that can help manufacturers figure out how to dispose of their concentrated PFAS waste. “This is more important than figuring out the technology sometimes because you need to find a place that can take your waste,” Zeng said. Her decision tree considers wastewater’s total organic carbon and total dissolved solids, she added.

“This is how we think about putting together a toolbox for PFAS,” said David Dunlap, vice president of government relations for Enviri Corporation. “Primarily it starts with what’s the media? Is it liquid? Is it solid? How much do I have and what’s the concentration?” Also consider whether you are dealing with short- or long-chain PFAS, he added. “Once you know that, then you can start figuring out how you want to clean up your problem to the standards that may or may not be set yet,” he said. He mentioned an EPA PFAS disposal and destruction guidance document (tinyurl.com/5yr3cwbd) that PMI members might find helpful.

Drinking water solutions

Simpler methods exist for removing PFAS from drinking water. Point-of-use carbon filters work well for household use, Zeng said. Granulated activated carbon removes PFAS from drinking water when used at treatment plants, added Bob Bowcock, water resources manager for Integrated Resource Management. “I think that’s ultimately going to become the solution and that’s why we’re working on technologies that can actually do that,” he said.

PMI members can log in to view PMI24 presentation slides at tinyurl.com/3z2ypnjr.

By Ray Valek, PMI Communications Team, Valek and Co.

Jonah Schein, national program manager for homes and buildings for the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Program, provided a comprehensive update at the PMI24 Manufacturing Success Conference.

Emphasizing the many accomplishments gained through the development of more than 45,000 WaterSense models, Schein walked attendees through the various specifications now in development.

Starting with tank-type toilets, Schein said specification version 2.0 was published in May 2024 as the first update since the specification was originally released in 2007. The revised specification eliminates the “effective flush volume” calculation and instead requires dual-flush toilets to have a full flush volume of 1.28 gallons per flush (gpf) or less.

Because version 2.0 does not affect the certification status of single- or dual-flush toilets having a full-flush volume less than or equal to 1.28 gpf, only about 1,500 dual-flush models will be affected when version 2.0 takes effect on July 1, 2025, he said. Dual-flush toilets not meeting the revised specification will no longer bear the WaterSense label as of July 1 and will be removed from the WaterSense product search tool on Jan. 1, 2026. “We respect the timelines you need to make adjustments in your product lines and certifications,” Schein stated.

Next Schein addressed the lavatory faucets specification revision. In March 2024, WaterSense published a notice of intent to expand the scope of the specification to kitchen, public lavatory and metering faucets while improving the efficiency criteria. The planned revision would reduce the maximum flow rate to 1.2 gallons per minute (gpm) from 1.5 gpm for private lavatory faucets. Schein noted that many states and Canada already require 1.2 or less gpm lavatory faucets and that most WaterSense models on the market are 1.2 gpm or less. WaterSense plans to publish the revised specification this winter and will work with manufacturers on a transition timeline and process, he stated.

The EPA also requested feedback on kitchen faucets in its lavatory faucets notice of intent. After considering feedback from stakeholders, EPA plans to develop a separate specification for kitchen faucets (as opposed to expanding the existing specification for private-use lavatory faucets). With many states now requiring kitchen faucets to be 1.8 gpm or less, WaterSense will consider a maximum flow rate of 1.5 or 1.8 gpm, with a target date for a draft specification sometime in 2025, he said.

Homes Program offers first national certification for entire-home water efficiency

Schein then talked about the growing WaterSense Labeled Homes Program, which offers the first national certification for water efficiency in an entire home. Primarily focused on new construction, the program allows for a wide variety of water-saving products and design techniques to achieve the certification threshold of 30% below typical new construction, he explained.

“We have more opportunities to save water when we’re looking at a whole house,” Schein said. “We can look at systems, things like plumbing design or landscape design, or even alternative water sources like gray water or rain water. These things don’t necessarily lend themselves to product solutions. They don’t have as limited parameters as, say, a plumbing product, but they’re valid ways to save water.”

Schein said the homes program achieves the maximum amount of water savings for the minimal incremental cost. “There’s never going to be as good of a chance to save the most possible gallons of water for the fewest possible dollars than at the time of construction,” he explained. “It’s just the way it works, and we can maximize our efficiency and make effective use of our resources this way. Also, the homes program is an effective way for us to promote WaterSense products within the building industry,” which is an important consumer of plumbing products.

He emphasized that WaterSense-labeled homes save energy and carbon emissions, as well. Compared to code-built homes, the development of 219 WaterSense-labeled homes in Menifee, California, annually saves 13.4 million gallons of water, 639,760 kilowatt hours of electricity, and 357,976 pounds of carbon emissions.

With access to water being a major issue for new developments in arid parts of the country, Schein said water efficiency is “becoming an important player in whether or not we’re able to build homes. If you go to Phoenix and ask them to zone something for residential, the first thing they’ll ask you to do is to certify the homes to WaterSense, so they know that they’re being built as efficiently as possible.”

Schein also encouraged PMI members to use their WaterSense certification as a start toward earning the Amazon Climate Friendly Pledge and to take advantage of WaterSense’s Partner Savings Calculator, which can estimate how much water, energy, carbon emissions and costs a PMI member company’s products have saved for their customers.

PMI members can log in to view PMI24 presentation slides at tinyurl.com/3z2ypnjr.

By Judy Wohlt, PMI Communications Team, Valek and Co.

Plumbing manufacturers must be prepared for new environmental law challenges, including more chemical use reassessments and citizen and shareholder demands for transparency. The big trend in environmental law is “other people in your business. You just got to accept it and manage it just like anything else,” said Doug Henderson, Ph.D., a partner in trial and global disputes with King & Spalding’s Atlanta office, during his presentation at the PMI24 Manufacturing Success Conference.

Toxicology investigations are happening more than ever, and the new buzzword is “exposure science,” he said. Exposure science is the study of contact with environmental factors and their effects on the human body, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. That’s why manufacturers need a team that knows exactly what’s going into their products and must create company environmental justice and chemical profiles, Dr. Henderson added.

The most significant future trend: chemical toxicity reassessment

In the next 10 to 15 years, the most important trend in environmental law will be chemical toxicity reassessment. “All the substances you’re using in your business are likely going to be re-evaluated for their toxicity” and organizations need to be ready, he said.

For example, companies that sterilize medical products using ethylene oxide, such as bandages and artificial knees, and store them in warehouses were caught off guard by new Environmental Protection Agency facility emission standards, reported Dr. Henderson. In 2014, the EPA released its National Air Toxics Assessment (NATA), which updated the risk assessment for ethylene oxide and related elevated cancer risks. As a result, strengthened emission standards for facilities using ethylene oxide were established.

Then the lawsuits began. Since 2020, about eight companies settled lawsuits totaling about $900 million and about 2,000 lawsuits are currently pending, he explained.

“Now, every medical product manufacturer in the United States, and I’ve represented several, are asking, ‘What happened?’ And it’s because EPA changed the toxicity levels and then it was like a wave,” he said. The plumbing manufacturing industry should consider this situation surrounding plastics used in products and processes, he added.

Creating environmental justice, chemical and plastics profiles

Creating your environmental justice (EJ) profile is easy to do, inexpensive, and necessary for all manufacturers, Dr. Henderson said. “If you’re in a meeting over the next six months and say, ‘We don’t need to worry about that,’ you’re wrong, okay? It depends on your state, but there’s still a lot of pressure from shareholders and other groups,” he stated.

A trained consultant can generate your EJ profile to determine if your company and facilities are “good, bad or middle of the road,” he added. Environmental justice involves the idea that people of all races and socioeconomic backgrounds should be treated fairly when creating and executing environmental policies. A company’s EJ profile will include environmental indicators, such as the NATA cancer risk in the area and hazardous waste proximity to residents, and demographic indicators, including if there’s a low-income population present, he explained.

Companies also need to create a chemical profile detailing all chemicals used in operations and products. “So, imagine for a minute that I’m the CEO saying, ‘I need a printout of every substance that was in any product we’ve used,’” Dr. Henderson said. “How many of you test your products to say, ‘Okay, we didn’t have another substance created when we blended two other substances?’”

He suggested that plumbing manufacturers drill down further to generate their plastics profiles because plastics are used in many plumbing products.

“Do you know your exposure profile? And even more basic, do you have a toxicologist or an industrial hygienist that you could call within 10 minutes who would know what your business is? That’s what you want to have,” Dr. Henderson said.

PMI members can log in to view PMI24 presentation slides at tinyurl.com/3z2ypnjr.

By Caroline Hyde and Ray Valek, PMI Communications Team, Valek and Co.

Presenting at the PMI24 Manufacturing Success Conference, Katherine Zitsch stated that there is no better time to be working in water, referring to the industry as a “team sport.”

“The beautiful thing about water is that it’s uniting. It’s bipartisan,” said the water policy expert from the Georgia Water Planning and Policy Center. When discussing the underfunding of water, both urban and rural legislators in Georgia nod their heads, she related. “Georgia has very real water challenges,” she noted, “but they’re solvable.”

The solution? Collaborative thinking, a holistic approach, and working together with Georgia’s neighboring states outside of the courtroom. Due to Atlanta’s lack of groundwater, 80% of the metro region’s water supply comes from two dams built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). However, because these reservoirs serve Georgia, Alabama and Florida, the three states fight over them, Zitsch explained.

For over 35 years, the shared waters of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) and Alabama Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) basins have been contested in lawsuits. In a Supreme Court case, Florida sued Georgia in regard to ACF water use, stating that Georgia’s overconsumption caused low flows in Florida and negatively affected the Florida’s oyster industry. Georgia won unanimously—but if the Peach State had lost, Florida still wouldn’t have solved the problem. “Lawsuits are a horrible way to solve water disputes,” she observed.

“What do we do (about this)?” Zitsch asked. “Well, we plan.”

Finding solutions out of court

First, making sure Georgia is responsible with water use is important, she said. The Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District is a cluster of 15 counties and 96 cities—including Atlanta—working together to manage the water resources in the region’s basins. “We knew we had to plan holistically,” Zitsch said. The district is doing that by implementing initiatives that make the basin’s water sustainable, such as replacing older, inefficient toilets and establishing a “use more, pay more” system to prevent the waste of water in residential areas. By rebating 150,000 toilets throughout the region, 2.6 million gallons of water are saved per day. Mandating payment for increased water use reminds district customers that water is a valuable resource, Zitsch explained.

“(Metropolitan) Atlanta went from 150 gallons used per person per day to 99,” Zitsch stated. That’s a 33% decrease. Similarly, total water withdrawals have stayed the same, despite the growth of the region by about 1.8 million people since the district’s formation in 2001, she added.

To help find peace among the water wars, the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Stakeholders (ACFS) is a group of 56 people who are trying to resolve the tri-state water dispute outside of litigation. “You have to balance the system. That is the way you can make progress: through dialogue and conversations with the people downstream, upstream, and all across to make sure we’re looking at the system holistically,” Zitsch said.

Currently, there are still two active lawsuits, one in each basin, but Georgia, Alabama and the USACE announced a settlement of one outside of court. “That’s a lesson that can be learned nationwide,” Zitsch stated. “This is a testament to what can be done if you understand everybody’s position and can find a way to work together.”

Preparing for a population influx

Georgia is the clean vehicle capital of America, building electric vehicle plants and batteries. “Metro Atlanta, a climate migration hub, is booming,” as people seek to move away from coastal areas. Also, an influx of young people is coming to the Southeast to further their education, Zitsch observed. “We have low (tuition) for out-of-state kids. What happens when people go to school here?” Zitsch asked. “They stay here.” Employers are attracted to the growing young population and want to build a workforce in Georgia. This presents an opportunity to garner interest in the water supply industry among young people, she stated.

“We need to work together—water utilities, manufacturing, the energy sector, all of the above—on how we can fund water differently, while also continuing to innovate,” Zitsch said. “That is an amazing piece of how we make it all work. But it’s a big-picture thing, and we need to think about it collectively.”

By Judy Wohlt, PMI Communications Team, Valek and Co.

During his PMI24 presentation on “Emerging Water Contaminants Impact on Premise Plumbing Systems,” Bob Bowcock shared updates on 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-q), microbial and disinfection byproducts rules, a new plumbing system professional certification, and more.

While plumbing manufacturers are still “catching their breath” on dealing with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), 6PPD-q is becoming “the next PFAS,” said Bowcock, water resources manager for Integrated Resource Management.

6PPD is an antioxidant and antiozonant in rubber components such as gaskets, belts and hoses, he explained. When exposed to air, 6PPD reacts with ozone to create 6PPD-q, which is considered the second most toxic aquatic contaminant. “It will suffocate a fish at 70 parts per trillion. We don’t even know what the human toxicology is yet,” Bowcock said. The chemical is predominantly a surface water issue, and experts are still figuring out how it affects plumbing products, he added.

EPA rules address the risks of disinfection byproducts in drinking water

The Environmental Protection Agency will update the Microbial and Disinfection Byproducts (MDBP) Rules in July 2025. These rules are important because they affect drinking water quality, Bowcock noted.

They encompass a set of regulations that address the risks of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and microbial pathogens in drinking water. Stage 1 and Stage 2 Disinfectants and Disinfection Byproducts Rules reduce exposure to DBPs, such as trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids, to improve public health, he explained.

“We’ve been chlorinating water for about 100 years. And what they found is that as the basic organics in the environment are oxidized by the chlorine reaction, they form disinfection byproducts that can be carcinogenic,” Bowcock said.

A strong example of a disinfection byproduct violation occurred in Flint, Michigan, between 2014 and 2015. “We all heard, ‘Flint was a lead poisoning case.’ But I will tell you it started as a disinfection byproduct violation,” stated Bowcock, who served as the state attorney general’s witness in Michigan’s Flint criminal prosecution case.

In switching its drinking water source from the Detroit Water Authority to the Flint Water System, the city of Flint over-chlorinated the water using chloramination, which caused lead and copper pitting in the pipes, he explained. However, the criminal cases were filed because several people died from Legionnaires’ disease, which was caused by Legionella bacteria that developed in hospital and home plumbing pipes.

How water chemistry can damage premise plumbing fixtures

The wrong water chemistry can damage premise plumbing fixtures. Water quality changes constantly with various contaminants, disinfectants and pH levels before flowing through pipes and into homes, Bowcock said.

Some water utilities add ammonia to chlorine, which forms chloramine, to stop the chemical reaction that causes lead and copper leaching, he explained. “But then, they found that chloramine is more persistent, more corrosive, and doesn’t kill bacteria very well. So, they get into a condition called nitrification out in the distribution system. And don’t think it’s not happening inside the premise plumbing system because it is,” he said. The result is an inability to maintain a chlorine residual, Bowcock added.

Water utilities create a nitrification action plan to perform a 90-day chlorine burn. Essentially, they take quarterly drinking water samples, then turn off the ammonia and increase the chlorine to more than five milligrams per liter, he stated. For context, Bowcock said, “A swimming pool chlorine test kit stops at three [milligrams per liter]. I’ve seen it in places in Texas as high as 10. And the objective is to burn the nitrifying bacteria out of the distribution system. It’s going right into your plumbing fixtures and destroys them,” he said.

EPA and AWWA developing new professional plumbing system certification

The EPA and American Water Works Association, which offers education to water professionals, are developing a premise plumbing system professional licensing program, Bowcock reported. “Your drinking water utility will now be responsible to your shower head, to your tap, to your faucet, to your refrigerator, to your ice maker, and to your dishwasher. It’s a major game changer,” he said.

Bowcock also covered how PFAS, manganese and cyanotoxins can cause various health issues in drinking water.

PMI members can log in to view PMI24 presentation slides at tinyurl.com/3z2ypnjr.