With people in our industry moving around, it is not uncommon to run into plumbing contractors and installers that are not well-versed with the code for the state in which they just moved to.

Regardless of our position in an organization or profession, we all have obligations and responsibilities to the career that we have chosen.

Last month, I used this space to discuss the importance of work-life balance. This month, I want to tackle a topic that is just as important: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the workplace.

Plumbing systems engineering and design are better with group collaboration. I was in the U.S. Navy, and the Seabee’s motto is, “Construimus, Batuimus,” which means “We Build, We Fight.” We are trained to fight and defend what we build.

As an engineering manager, I have a responsibility to maintain a high level of quality in our “product.” But it’s my opinion that consulting engineers don’t really have a product. You might counter with — drawings and specifications are our product, are they not? Yes and no. Allow me to explain.

The 2023 ASPE Tech Symposium will be held in Bellevue, Washington from Sept. 28 – Oct. 1.

The deadline to register for the 2023 exam is Oct. 1.

Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the Plumbing Industry Leadership Coalition (PILC) meeting, which was held at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Maryland. While there was a lot of great discussion on a number of important issues, one topic really caught my interest, and that was workforce development in this post-pandemic era.

Mechanical engineering is an integral part of both HVACR (Heating, Ventilating, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration) and plumbing. While both disciplines utilize the same science and engineering principles, their application diverges depending on the system under consideration. A prime example of this is the “wet” piping system that moves water through the piping network.

If you follow me on LinkedIn, you know I am passionate about advocating for plumbing engineers and designers. I have regularly written about the need for plumbing engineers, especially in solving our various water crises and improving our medical gas systems. The lesson is clear: plumbing systems are continually increasing in complexity.