Had our paths crossed three years ago at an airport bar, we would have enjoyed a pleasant conversation about the ballgame on mute above the spirit bottles while we waited for our flight to start boarding.

 If you’re the owner or employee of a small business, you have another reason to worry about climate change.  

Every year, pme’s sister magazine, Plumbing & Mechanical, surveys the largest contractors in our industry.

On June 6 in Washington, the Plumbing Industry Leadership Coalition met to address three topics we’ve discussed in this column in recent months: upgrading the nation’s aging infrastructure, preparing for the federal law on no-lead plumbing products and attracting the next generation of plumbing industry professionals, including engineers.

We’ve seen this collision before in the last year or so when two indicators of nonresidential construction industry activity are released virtually at the same time, with each moving in a different direction. The divergent reports support comments I’ve been hearing from engineers, contractors and manufacturers that the road to economic recovery remains a bumpy one.

The Reduction of Lead in Drinking Water Act redefines the term “lead-free” in the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 down from a maximum 8% on a weighted average basis to the new level.

Snow closed the Frankfurt airport and kept crowds down during the first day of the giant ISH trade show on March 12 in Germany.

Last month, the American Society of Civil Engineers issued its Report Card for America’s Infrastructure, which it does every four years. The cumulative grade-point average, across 16 infrastructure categories is D+. This actually represents an improvement from 2009.