Blane Judd, Chief Executive of The Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering received an Honorary Fellowship from the Indian Plumbing Association presented to ‘honour distinguished individuals who strive to uphold the ethical code of conduct, dignity of the profession and commitment towards fulfilment of responsibilities to the society we live in.’
He was invited to the IPA’s 13th annual conference in Hyderabad to receive the honour from the IPA president Sudhakaran Nair where he addressed delegates on the issue of global water shortage, encouraging plumbers worldwide to take on the mantle as water conservationists.
Said Blane Judd: “It is a great honour to receive this Fellowship. I consider it to be a highlight of my professional career to date and I was delighted to be able to combine speaking at the conference with receiving the award. I had no idea when I agreed to give a presentation at the event that the Indian Plumbing Association intended making me an Honorary Fellow.”
In his presentation to the conference, Blane demonstrated the water shortage visually, showing that if the world’s water was represented in a 1 litre bottle then the total water available to use would only equate to a single capful. He told the conference that 98% of water-related deaths occur in the developing world with 3.5 million people dying each year from contaminated water, many of whom are children under four years of age.
Blane Judd believes plumbers hold the solution to this issue and have a significant role to play in water conservation. He cited the refurbishment of existing plumbing systems as a critical component of water conservation alongside the regulation and legislation that currently governs new builds. Added Blane, “I know that members of the IPA share our commitment to water conservation and the desire for professional bodies throughout the world to work together for a global solution.”
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Ends September 2009