Access to clean water is a basic necessity for human life. The key word there is access. Treated water doesn’t magically fall from shower heads. Filtered water doesn’t naturally flow out of refrigerators. There are systems, technologies, products and people that make it happen.

Yet, your buddy may not know how to size mains, and your mom probably doesn’t know who manufactured the toilet she uses every day. Instances like the current Flint, Michigan water crisis make the work that you do every day tangible for those outside of our bubble.

At this point, nearly every American knows there is a problem with Flint’s plumbing. And, as the plumbing and hydronic contractor's definitive source for product information and applications, we want to start presenting solutions.

This issue includes robust coverage of the Flint water crisis. PHC News' Steve Smith, Sarah Cimarusti and Danielle Galian recently traveled to Flint to volunteer at the American Red Cross and donate to Catholic Charities’ Center for Hope. While there, Sarah also met with an expert from the University of Michigan, Flint to discuss next steps for the city, including GIS mapping. The story is a must-read on page 32. 

You can also find a look at how the crisis connects to infrastructure issues across the country in Steve Smith’s column on page 54. And, to bring things full circle, on page 24, I shed light on plumbing innovations yet to be realized stateside through a look at global manufacturing.

As fired up as the PHC News team is about the impact that our industry could have on plumbing through this current event, we are just vessels for the stories. You are the characters. Especially in this narrative that requires plumbing overhaul of an entire city. Help us burst the bubble and shed light on the power of what we, as an industry, do.