World Plumbing Day is an international event on March 11 initiated by the World Plumbing Council celebrating the important role plumbing plays in the health and safety of modern society. We know that children have a large impact on their family’s perception of its water usage, so we wanted to actively engage their perception of plumbing and have a little fun.

The aftermath of the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti reveals how easy it is to take for granted the availability of safe drinking water and sufficient sanitation systems — until those systems cease to function properly.

We are inspired by the success the United States Forest Service has enjoyed with Smokey the Bear® and Hartford Insurance and the National Fire Protection Association with Sparky the Fire Dog® in enlightening children and making the educational message fun in the process. We would like to emulate that success with your help to bring a better understanding of the largely misunderstood role plumbers play in keeping folks safe and healthy each and every day.

The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) is a proud associate of the organization behind World Plumbing Day. IAPMO members have since 1926 dedicated themselves to public health and safety through the development of safe plumbing and mechanical codes — the Uniform Plumbing Code and the California Plumbing Code among the various state regulations our association produces.

To increase the interest and excitement in World Plumbing Day, IAPMO is sponsoring a Wii Console sweepstakes drawing for school children in the third through fifth grades. These downloadable educational coloring / activity pages are available for the commemoration of this important day. The children submit their completed entries with their name, grade level, teacher’s name, school name and city/state. The prize is sent to the school for the winning student.

The safety and abundance of drinking water is, of course, a concern for most people all over the world, but what is not often emphasized is the work the plumbing industry contributes every day to alleviate these concerns.

We look forward to seeing the students’ participation in this worthwhile event. For more information, please direct your Web browser to www.worldplumbingday.org.

Download Teacher's Letter

Download Health Aspects of Plumbing Facts Sheet

Download Environmental Aspects of Plumbing Facts Sheet