World Plumbing Day

Indeed , World Plumbing Day ( WPD ) is upon us on the 11th of this month and our thanks to all those plumbers who go out to do good work for the less fortunate . Accepting that many do this type of work throughout the year , WPD is the one day when we recognise PLUMBING and the PLUMBER worldwide .

We welcome Sello Mokawane , vice president of IOPSA who provides the monthly IOPSA column this issue which makes fifteen valid pointers for our industry going forward . We need to be acutely aware of the challenges facing our industry , failing which we will all be without work !

We start off with the JASWIC monthly listings ( two this month due to

a gremlin last month !), the idea being that readers are aware of the manufacturers that are listing and hold SANS accreditation . While a test report is not ideal , JASWIC does encourage going all the way to obtain SANS accreditation .

This issue presents the POLOKWANE Plumbing Travelling Exhibition catalogue . The reception from potential visitors and merchants has been amazing so we look forward to a great expo , the first of 2023 .

Our local manufacturer , Solar Heat Exchangers , is no newcomer to our industry and has now entered local manufacture as one will read .

Our feature is on non-water borne sanitary disposal , an issue that perhaps does not receive the attention it should . This needs to change as urban areas are growing and rural areas must adopt a more sensible approach to disposal of this wastewater . Certainly most of the manufacturers we approached did not seem to share this view , which is surprising as they brag greatly about their septic tanks with no thought for the standards that apply and have a rather contorted view of the plumber ’ s role in this critical sector . Nonetheless , we share the views of those who are serious about this and the interest from the USA in this technology .

IAPMO ’ s contribution raises an issue which is acknowledged in South Africa but little is done about it and that is the unintended consequences of water conservation . Of course we must conserve water but as the article so clearly emphasizes there are other parts of conservation that make up the whole .

Vollie Brink talks about New building sanitation drainage systems – which is more than just connecting a few pipes and running them into the municipal system .

Our ‘ Tell me why you became a plumbing contractor ’ series continues and garners good interest . We will be expanding this to other regions now that we have established a successful series .

Our Women in Plumbing continues this issue and will be joined , courtesy of BluLever Education , by a new series titled “ Women on Tools .” These are the success stories we need to hear about , showing not only the role women are playing in plumbing but the success they enjoy under the guidance , training and on-the-job training they receive through this unique structure that BluLever offers .

We look at Product certification , which reinforces the need for manufacturers / suppliers to obtain the SANS accreditation . With four certification bodies in the market one thinks we can get over blaming just one which held the market for decades .

Finally , Patrick Gordon takes us through the ERV and its function .

So , we are nearly through the first quarter of 2023 and what a quarter it has been . If you have not experienced the rush , cannot imagine where you have been but do catch up from the second quarter onwards . PA

Rory

Rory Macnamara , Editor Email : rory @ interactmedia . co . za

“… there are other parts of conservation that make up the whole .”

March 2023 Volume 29 I Number 1 www . plumbingafrica . co . za

Plumbing Africa March 2023 | Page 3

World Plumbing Day

Rory