Two hundred years ago, Wellington, a British general famous for defeating the French in the Peninsular War and later at Waterloo, defined the role of military intelligence as the ability to "see over the hill." This could also apply to university research within the industry. In plumbing system design, it is necessary to identify the pressures driving innovation and the impediments to innovation. We need to identify and prioritize the major challenges facing the industry so research can focus on assisting designers, appliance manufacturers and code specifiers. To some extent, these priorities are national; however, there are international imperatives that dictate medium- to long-term research.