PMI members answer drought-stricken town’s call for help by donating and installing high-efficiency fixtures.

On Nov. 17, members of the Plumbing Manufacturers Institute will donate and install high-efficiency plumbing fixtures for the citizens of Orme, Tenn., who have been without a water supply of their own for some time now due to drought conditions in the Southeast. Orme has been forced to ship water in from neighboring states, and has been restricted to a three-hour period of water usage each day.

“Obviously, we can’t replace the water that is no longer there. But we can give the residents the tools they need to conserve their water supply in the future when it is replenished,” said Barbara C. Higgens, executive director of PMI. The high-efficiency showerheads, toilets, toilet fittings and other plumbing products will significantly reduce both usage and inadvertent waste through leaks and other incidents, Higgens said.

A volunteer group of plumbers will do an all-day blitz installation called “Race To Save Water.” The event will take on a NASCAR theme, complete with a briefing in “the Pit.” A running tally of the water savings that will be realized from this effort will be kept and announced at the end of the day.

PMI and all of the participating PMI members will be on hand to assist and to explain how the industry and these products will help Orme save water.  This will include participation by several industry leaders, and PMI member companies, including BrassCraft Mfg. Co., Delta Faucet Company, Gerber Plumbing Fixtures, and H2O Guard Inc. “Promoting water conservation is a big part of our mission at PMI,” said Higgens. “Helping the people of Orme allows us to support that mission in a very real way.”