President Joe Biden March 11 in a letter to Tom Bigley, chairman of the World Plumbing Council (WPC) and former IAPMO Board of Directors member, recognized World Plumbing Day, acknowledging the essential service plumbers and those in the industry provide to people worldwide to ensure their access to clean, healthy water and safe sanitation.

In the letter extending greetings to all observing World Plumbing Day — March 11, Every Year, Everywhere — the president wrote:

Today, we honor the hardworking plumbers and other trained professionals who work tirelessly to bring water — trickling down from our highest mountains and up from our deepest aquifers — into our homes and offices. These workers stitch communities together and help connect all people to this precious natural resource.

Access to clean water and effective wastewater treatment systems is the right of every community, and my Administration looks forward to being a partner to ensure that right is recognized in our country and across the globe. We are committed to investing in the workers and industries that are building a world in which all people, regardless of who they are or where they live, can survive and thrive because of reliable access to clean, safe water.

The presidential statement may be viewed here.

"We are thrilled to have President Biden recognize World Plumbing Day," Bigley said. "We have long known the vital, life-saving role our industry plays in the world and are delighted to have our president also recognize this issue so widely. Working to ensure everyone has access to safe, reliable water and skilled professionals has always been and will continue to be our number one priority."

WPC in 2010 established March 11 as World Plumbing Day, an annual celebration to promote appreciation of the plumbing industry's vital work on behalf of the planet and its people. The event aims to help the general public better understand how the plumbing industry protects the public's health and safety, demonstrate the extent to which it works to limit mankind's environmental footprint and to illuminate other important and often unsung work performed by contractors, inspectors, installers, engineers, manufacturers and academicians.

IAPMO has been an enthusiastic supporter of World Plumbing Day from its inception, developing educational materials and administering student contests to promote the event and facilitating its recognition among the highest levels of U.S. government. For several years the U.S. Senate and/or House of Representatives have passed a bipartisan resolution formally designating March 11 as World Plumbing Day.

"On behalf of IAPMO and all our brothers and sisters in the plumbing industry I want to thank President Biden for his administration's acknowledgment and appreciation for our work," said IAPMO CEO Dave Viola. "We understand that having the health and safety of American plumbing systems taken for granted means we are doing things really well, but it's still nice to know people understand the expertise required to make it so."