Plumbing involves providing clean water, managing wastewater, and ensuring water quality for safe use. It also includes handling various other systems such as gas distribution, drainage, and laboratory systems.

Legionella is a concerning bacteria found in freshwater environments. When inhaled, it can cause Legionnaire's disease, a severe form of pneumonia, especially dangerous for those with weakened immune systems.

Plumbing design professionals rely on third-party product standards and qualifications to minimize design risk efficiently. Written specifications often reference product certifications.

Point-of-use (POU) water disinfection isn't just about public health; it's also an essential engineering strategy in modern water systems, tackling waterborne diseases by ensuring safe drinking water directly at the point of consumption.

NorthPointe Christian Schools near Grand Rapids, Michigan, has grown from 90 students to over 1,250 across Pre-K to 12th grade. To keep pace with the needs of ever-expanding schools like Northpointe, Chicago Faucets has evolved to meet school safety needs with products like thermostatic mixers and touchless faucets.

Plumbing systems in buildings require careful selection of vertical or horizontal piping distribution. The building type is a key factor in this decision, and relevant codes and standards must be followed.

The author reflects on a recent trip to South America and Antarctica and discusses the topic of identifying back-feed potentials within domestic hot water risers, drawing from an article by Miles Ryan, PE, about typical issues found in high-rise residential buildings.

A reader asked if the process for water heater selection could be used for selecting a faucet. This column provides the process steps for selecting faucets, without discussing the findings in detail, as several resources are available for comparing faucet types.

When a plumbing engineer receives the design of a health care building — our minds gravitate to designing the system to optimize all the different considerations I mentioned above — with the fixture layout the architect has developed. But what if the layout changed? What if the amount of fixtures were reduced? 

Water scarcity is a growing issue globally. Some regions are adopting water reuse and rainwater capture solutions. Onsite water reuse can help save money, reduce water demands, and manage stormwater flows. With onsite water reuse, you can reuse up to 95% of a building's wastewater.