USA team wins Water Innovation Challenge in Singapore

June 6, 2014
The Americans bested the Australians in the three-day competition. “This is a prime example of industry groups working together for common good, and — in this case — global good,” said Roger Peugeot, chairman of PHCC’s Educational Foundation. Two of the members on Team USA are past winners of the SkillsUSA contest.

SINGAPORE — The team of young plumbing professionals from the United States has won the Water Innovation Challenge in Singapore June 3-5. The Americans bested the Australians in the three-day competition. Originally, Singapore planned to field a team but was unable to pull one together.

Thirteen participants representing the U.S. and Australia — plumbers, engineers, web designers, CAD specialists, teachers, and advisors —participated in the inaugural Water Innovation Challenge event in the Central Amphitheatre at ITE Singapore College East. This was a side event of Singapore International Water Week 2014, a global platform for stakeholders from across the global water industry to share business opportunities and showcase the latest water technologies and innovative water solutions.

Many of the creative solutions that the two teams developed will now be implemented as part of collaborative work with Healthabitat (www.healthabitat.com) in countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, and others.

Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Educational Foundation, the American Society of Plumbing Engineers, International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials, the Mechanical Contracting Educational & Research Foundation, and WorldSkills USA provided generous financial support for the American team.

“This is a prime example of industry groups working together for common good, and — in this case — global good,” said Roger Peugeot, chairman of PHCC’s Educational Foundation. “We embrace the opportunity to recognize the important role of plumbing professionals in protecting the health and well-being of all people and support the work of these young, up-and-coming professionals as they prove how their skills can really make a difference anywhere in the world.”

Leading the team of plumbers and engineers from the U.S. was former CONTRACTOR magazine Contractor of the Year William N. Erickson, chairman of C.J. Erickson Plumbing Co., Alsip, Ill. Erickson played a key role in not only putting the team together, meeting with them in Chicago a few weeks in advance of departure for Singapore, and he also helped raise money to offset the costs of this venture.

“We owe a great deal to Bill, who has spent countless hours in the lead up to this event by nurturing and challenging these kids and getting them focused on what has resulted in a first-rate performance with tangible outcomes for the future,” said IAPMO CEO Russ Chaney. “Bill made a trip to Singapore to act as Team USA’s mentor.”

Erickson hosted the two teams for dinner on the second night and that’s where they first began to mix and become friends. His attention to detail was evident when he appeared on Day 2 with large fans for both teams, which he'd bought when he heard some complaints from his team that the oppressive heat and annoying gnats was bothering the ones working on the computers.

“I am extremely excited about and encouraged by Team USA; we are in great shape,” Erickson said before leaving for Singapore. “We have solid technicians with loads of experience in these types of competitions and plumbing in general.”

In fact, two of the members on Team USA are past winners of the SkillsUSA contest, offered every year to the nation’s best career and technical students to demonstrate their skills and leadership. Always committed to training and supporting the p-h-c industry’s next generation of workers, the PHCC Educational Foundation sponsors the SkillsUSA plumbing competition each year.

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