Dear industry colleague,

In the past few months a number of important plumbing events have been held across the globe. In Australia the National Plumbing Regulators Forum (NPRF) Conference brought together a host of industry experts to discuss topics that have local as well as worldwide impact. From rules and regulations, to education and CPD, to the potential damage of water borne diseases and the public costs of poor plumbing, the NPRF Conference provided multi-faceted insight into the growing problems the plumbing community faces and the need to remain vigilant in the face of potential crises.

The NPRF Conference ran concurrently with World Plumbing Day, whose theme was Plumbing: Vital to Global Health. A range of activities across the globe were initiated to spread the word that even though most Western countries have access to working sanitary systems, much of the third world still suffers from poor sanitation.

In the 21st century the absence of skill to fix sanitation problems is unacceptable. Much of Western society is doing all it can to help countries in less fortunate positions. Australia has projects in East Timor, Port Moresby and Papua New Guinea and works closely with surrounding Pacific nations, but is it enough?

The growing acceptance of World Plumbing Day highlights two things:
1. We should never be complacent about our own plumbing infrastructure.
2. We must share our knowledge, skill and expertise to help less fortunate foreign entities realise the importance of proper sanitation to health and infrastructure.

Another major event to occur in the last few months was ISH. The premier expo for plumbing and sanitation product was held in March in Germany and highlighted the growing trend toward sustainable sanitation. Though many of the products would do little to serve the needs of a third world nation low on sanitary equipment, the products on show did illustrate the growing concern of manufacturers to meet the needs and expectations of a public concerned with its future.

What ISH shares with WPD and the NPRF is a vision to create a sustainable society, led by thoughtful innovation. The more discussion that occurs through these events, the better the solutions and the quicker the implementation of these solutions. That is why these seminars and conferences are so important and must continue unabated in future.