Top 10 Reasons Why You MUST Attend the 2009 Technical Symposium

1. The Product Show is free. Mingle with manufacturers as you munch on a complementary tailgate-style dinner.
2. The education is outstanding. 25 sessions will be taught by experts practicing in the field.
3. Where else can you earn 15 educational contact hours in one weekend?
4. You can meet, network with, and learn from your peers from all over the country.
5. You could win one of a dozen laptops.
6. ASPE is offering a travel stipend for those driving to the event.
7. You can meet with proven problem solvers in the plumbing engineering and contracting industry.
8. Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and a wine and cheese party are all offered complimentary.
9. ASPE has obtained a ridiculously low room rate at the Hyatt Regency.
10. Your productivity will soar when you return to the office.

What are you waiting for? Register today!

TIME IS RUNNING OUT! Register for the Next ASPE Webinar Now

On September 16 at 1 p.m. CST, Mark Passamaneck will present ASPEís next webinar on how to become an expert witness. Attendees will learn successful procedures to follow during investigation and how to determine the necessary depth of investigation to avoid disqualification and meet the standard of care. Cost is $69.95 for ASPE members, $129.95 for nonmembers. Participants can earn 0.1 CEU or 1 PDH. Click here to register.

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.

Happy Anniversary Baltimore Chapter!

ASPEís Baltimore Chapter celebrates its 35th anniversary today. ASPE congratulates the chapter and wishes it and its members continued success.

Watch the Puerto Rico Chapter Charter Ceremony

ASPEís 60^th chapteróPuerto Ricoówas chartered on July 9. You can view the charter ceremony on ASPEís homepage.

Want to Get Something Off Your Chest? Visit the ASPE Leadership Communications Blog

Click here to directly contact any ASPE board member, read their monthly newsletters, see what other members are saying, and respond to their comments.

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.

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

September 14: Central New York Golf Outing

ASPEís Central New York Chapter is holding its annual golf outing at The Links at Sunset Ridge in Marcellus, New York, starting at 10 a.m. Cost is $60 for golf, cart, hot dog at the turn, and steak dinner following the event. Contact Dan Gehl with any questions.

September 14: Washington, D.C., Golf Outing

ASPEís Washington, D.C., Chapter is holding its golf outing at the Worthington Manor Golf Club in Urbana, Maryland. Cost is $150 per person for golf, lunch and dinner. Many sponsorships are available. Contact Pat Becker for more information.

September 21: Philadelphia Plumbing Design School

The ASPE/ASSE Plumbing Design School will be held every Monday from 6:30ñ9 p.m. at the office of Lime Contractors in Philadelphia until Feb. 1, 2010. Tuition is $650. Areas of study include plumbing terms, codes, hydraulics and math, centrifugal pump fundamentals, domestic hot water design, backflow prevention, storm, sanitary, and vent design, purified water systems, and graywater and storm water reclamation. Contact Nelson White for more information.

September 21: British Columbia Golf Outing

ASPEís British Columbia Chapter is holding its golf outing at the Green Acres Golf and Country Club in Richmond, British Columbia. Cost is $125 per player (includes dinner). Contact Peter Way to register.

September 22: Tampa Bay Rays Baseball Outing

ASPEís West Coast Florida Chapter is holding a joint meeting with ASHRAE followed by an evening of baseball in the Rays Party Suite. Cost is $30 per person. Space is limited. Contact Rob Shorey for more information.

September 24: Los Angeles Plumbing Design Course

ASPEís Los Angeles Chapter and UCLA Extension announce a three-semester course on code and engineering fundamentals, advanced plumbing design, and systems applications at the UCLA Westwood Campus. Students must have a minimum of one-year in plan check or plumbing system design. Contact Haig Demergian for more information.

NEW! U.S. National Whitewater Center Tour Being Held September 25

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. The theme is ìGreen Building Design and Technology.î Click here for more information.

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.

October 6: Chicago Design Course

ASPEís Chicago Chapter is presenting the 10-week course ìAdvanced Plumbing Systems and Equipment Selection.î Classes will be held on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Cost is $650 for ASPE members and $825 for nonmembers. Click here for more information. Registration deadline is September 18.

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! Atlanta Product Show Being Held November 9

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! Los Angeles-area Medical Gas System Design Seminar Being Held November 12

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

San Antonio Braces for Plumbing Code Showdown

Department of Planning and Development officials are leading an initiative to change the City of San Antonioís adopted plumbing code from the Uniform Plumbing Code to the International Plumbing Code. The city adopted the UPC in the early 1970s and has used it continuously since. At its October 1 meeting, the San Antonio City Council will consider a recommendation made by the cityís Plumbing Appeals and Advisory Board to adopt the 2009 IPC and 2009 International Fuel Gas Code, with 61 pages of amendments, as the standard governing the installation and maintenance of plumbing and fuel gas systems in San Antonio. The Council could motion to retain the existing UPC and simply update from the 2006 to the 2009 edition, which incorporates 19 pages of city-specific amendments.

Illinois Strengthens Clean Water Laws

Governor Pat Quinn recently signed a bill to help ensure that Illinois citizens have safe drinking water and prevent water contamination incidents. House Bill 4021 requires that all users of a community water supply be notified when water is contaminated or there is a threat of contamination. Current Illinois law only requires the IEPA to notify water supply owners and operators of contamination. The bill also establishes a monetary penalty and makes providing false information to environmental enforcement officials a felony under state law.

Most Americans Donít Wash Their Hands Enough, According to Survey

Worries about the spread of swine flu havenít changed the majority of Americansí hand-washing habits, according to the Healthy Hand-washing Survey conducted by Bradley Corp. 54 percent of the 1,020 respondents said they wash their hands no more or less frequently in public restrooms as a result of the H1N1 virus. Overall, 87 percent of respondents said they did wash their hands after using public lavatories. When asked if they also used soap, the numbers declined to 86 percent, yet 55 percent of the group admitted that sometimes theyíve simply rinsed, without using soap. Respondents identified a number of reasons, such as the sinks werenít working, the wash area appeared unclean, the sink area was crowded, they didnít feel the need to wash, and soap dispensers were empty. 

Water/Wastewater Market Projected to Be Worth $127 Billion in 2009

According to WaterView 2009, a report by Environmental Business Journal and ZweigWhite, the U.S. water industry is projected to be worth $127 billion this year, a 2.4 percent increase over 2008. The volume of this market is driven by many factors, including an aging infrastructure combined with population growth. The sheer size of the market, coupled with the dire need for more water-related development in many regions of the world, signals enormous opportunity for engineering, construction, environmental consulting, and allied professional services firms.

Minnesota City Eschews Storm Drains, Uses Porous Concrete

Shoreview, Minnesota, is using a new paving method that lets rainwater pass through the streetís surface, preventing the runoff that can damage waterways. Pervious concreteó regular asphalt with the smallest particles left out, allows most liquid that hits the pavement to pass through. Storm water sinks through the asphalt, slowly soaking into the underlying soil. The product has been around since the 1970s, and though it costs more, cities using it have found that it holds up as well as or better than traditional asphalt.

USGBC Launches Building Performance Initiative

The Building Performance Initiative is designed to put in place a comprehensive data collection effort from all buildings that have achieved LEED certification, implement an appropriate analysis methodology of that data, and provide feedback to building owners so they have better information with which to address any performance gaps that stem from predicted building performance versus actual performance. It complements the announcement earlier this year that will require ongoing performance data from buildings as part of their certification under the latest version of LEED and beyond.

Is Design-Build More Effective than Design-Bid-Build?

According to a study performed by a consortium of universities commissioned by the Water Design-Build Council, design-build projects for water and wastewater have a shorter duration for design and construction than design-bid-build projects and come in ahead of or on schedule more often than design-bid-build projects. Additionally, design-build projects are delivered at, or below, the owner's budget almost twice as often. Most importantly, these efficiencies are realized with no significant difference in quality.

Plastics in Oceans Decompose, Release Hazardous Chemicals

According to scientists presenting at the National Meeting of the American Chemical Society, plasticsóreputed to be virtually indestructibleódecompose with surprising speed and release potentially toxic substances into the water. Polystyrene begins to decompose in open water within one year, releasing components that are detectable in the parts-per-million range. Plastics usually do not break down in an animalís body after being eaten. However, the substances released from decomposing plastic are absorbed and could have adverse effects. They can disrupt the functioning of hormones in animals and can seriously affect reproductive systems.

Novel Bacterial Strains Clear Algal Toxins from Drinking Water

Bacterial strains capable of neutralizing toxins produced by blue-green algae have been identified by researchers at Robert Gordon's University in Aberdeen, Scotland. Blooms of blue green algae are found in both fresh and salt water. They produce toxins called microcystins which are released into the water and are easily ingested by animals and humans by drinking, swimming, or bathing. Once in the body, the toxins attack liver cells, causing acute and chronic poisoning. Conventional methods for water treatment do not remove microcystins, but researchers have identified more than 10 bacterial strains capable of metabolizing microcystins, breaking them down into harmless nontoxic materials. Using bacteria to remove microcystins from water provides a reliable, cost-effective purification system, which does not involve any use of harmful chemicals or any other substances harmful to the environment.

NSF International Releases Carbon Emissions Report

Carbon EmissionsóMeasuring the Risks examines the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of S&P 500 companies in several different sectors, including industrial goods and services. The average major U.S. industrial good/services company emits 1.2 million metric tons of GHGs annually. Many U.S. companies will soon have to pay for GHG emissions under the planned cap-and-trade program, yet many are unaware that more than 70 percent of carbon emissions are embedded in the supply chain of the average industrial service firm. This represents a serious financial exposure as costs are passed on to manufacturers.

Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement Available for Peer Review

IAPMOís Green Plumbing and Mechanical Code Supplement, created to standardize sustainable residential and commercial plumbing and mechanical systems, is available for peer review and comment through 5 p.m. CDT on October 9. The intent of this document is to complement adopted plumbing and mechanical codes by introducing additional language pertaining to water and energy efficiency, HVAC system commissioning, the use of alternate water sources, and increased indoor environmental quality. This preliminary version of the supplement and the peer review comment form can be obtained by contacting Maria Bazan.

Call for Working Group Participants Announced

The American Society of Sanitary Engineering is forming a working group for the new ASSE Series 9000, a Professional Qualifications Standard for Firestop Systems and Device Installers, Inspectors and Surveyors. Any interested party, especially installers, inspectors, surveyors, manufacturers, engineers, building owners, code officials, and fire industry personnel, are invited to participate. Contact Marianne Waickman for more information.

Introductory BIM Guide Released by ASHRAE

A newly released guide from ASHRAE on building information models and building information modeling serves as a resource for professionals considering BIM tools and applications for their businesses. The guide is available as a free download on ASHRAEís website.

Foundation Engineering and Design Course Being Offered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison

This course will be held January 27ñ29, 2010 in Madison, Wisconsin. Offered through the Department of Engineering Professional Development, it will teach about basic soil concepts and strength parameters, settlement of sands and clays, bearing capacity, ground modification procedures, pile foundations and pile set-up, dynamic methods, drilled piers, shallow foundations, and reinforced concrete design. Click here for more information. 

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

CPVC Schedule 80 Piping Meets ASTM D1784 Cell Classification 24448

GF Piping Systemsí higher performing CPVC Schedule 80 pipe is available in a full size range from Ω inch through 12-inches, the pipe offers improved impact resistance, better tensile strength, and higher heat temperature deflection characteristics up to 230∞F. It features high chemical and corrosion resistance to acids, alkalis, alcohols, and other corrosives and meets the requirements of NSF 14 and NSF 61 as suitable for potable water.

Range of Intelligent Variable-speed Pumps Extended

Armstrong Limited has extended its range of Intelligent Variable Speed and IVS Sensorless pumps with integrated controls. The IVS and IVS Sensorless offerings are now available with integrated controls to 75hp (55kW) on series 4300-IVS and 4302-IVS dualARM vertical in-line pumps. Separate stand-alone controls are available for larger units IVS units and for the following commercial pump series: 4030, 4280, 4300, 4302, 4380, 4382 4600 and 4700.

Adjustable Concealed Tank and Carrier Systems Accommodates Physical Disabilities

Geberitís Concealed Tank and Carrier System for wall-hung toilets is designed for adjustability to meet the needs of those who have a physical disability that makes everyday tasks more challenging. The height is changeable from 15 to 19 inches, and it is built to withstand a maximum load of 880 pounds. Dual-flush technology is available.