Today is World Plumbing Day, and we can’t help but feel grateful that the majority of Americans have clean, safe water, both for drinking and for sanitation. We are proud to be a part of that and thankful that our families enjoy quality plumbing, which offers both the means to provide clean water and also the means to dispose of wastewater.
Supply
Our water comes from as far away as Wyoming, and some of our wastewater is responsible for cooling the Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant, making it the only nuclear power plant in the world which isn’t near a significant body of water.
Fixtures
Our water fixtures are getting Smarter, capable of turning on with the foot, a wave of a hand or just a touch, and turning themselves off. Your shower can warm to a set temperature at a set time and alert you by phone when it’s ready for you.
Testing
Our water is tested regularly, even for unregulated contaminants and has enough fluoride to keep Valley teeth in good shape. The city is continually looking for new ways to control water hardness and the algae odor which sometimes occurs due to the growth of algae in Arizona canals.
Materials
The first pipes in Roman times were made of lead, but their water, like ours, was so hard that a layer of calcium quickly coated the lead and prevented lead poisoning. Later, pipes in London were made from wood. Cast iron, steel, concrete, copper, brass, and plastic have all taken a turn as source materials for plumbing pipe. Lead pipes were banned in 1986.
We now have backflow preventers, tankless water heaters, solar water heaters, water softeners, irrigation and fire safety systems, digital inspection cameras, reverse osmosis filters and more.
Codes
Codes protect the public, the system, and the environment. Never in the history of humanity has there been more regulation devoted to the flow of water, including the supply, discharge, storage, fixtures, drains, reclamation. The cleaner we can keep our water usage, the better job we can do to protect our fragile planet.
Future
As time goes on, it is likely that we will see more Smart applications for water usage and control than ever before. There are applications which haven’t been addressed. We hope that the next wave of plumbers will be able to work smarter, not harder and that we will find new ways to manage old problems, so there is plenty of clean water in the future for everyone.
If you have plumbing issues which need attention, we hope that you’ll consider calling us to do the job.
If you need an honest, dependable plumber in the Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe or Chandler area, call Jimmy at 480-757-1273.
