PRESS RELEASE
APPLE VALLEY, MN, MARCH 11, 2021 — In recognition of World Plumbing Day, Uponor North America and the International Water Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation (IWSH) announced a new partnership that will help address critical water and sanitation inequities in the United States.
With more than two million Americans in marginalized communities trying to survive without running water, basic indoor plumbing, and sanitation, the need is dire. For example, families in the Navajo Nation drive hours for barrels of water; Central Valley California residents fill bottles at public taps because their water at home is not safe to drink; families in West Virginia drink from polluted streams; and parents in Alabama warn their children not to play in yards flooded with sewage.
Now, the coronavirus public health crisis has compounded these issues and placed a greater focus on the important role hygiene plays in stopping the spread of diseases.
“When it comes to drinking water, too many people in our country have been left behind,” says Bill Gray, president, Uponor North America. “Our partnership with IWSH highlights the valuable role that skilled plumbing tradespeople and quality products play in delivering life-changing water and sanitation solutions that last. We look forward to being part of rebuilding confidence in these communities and helping to shape their futures positively.”
Uponor’s support for 2021 will include both monetary and in-kind contributions toward IWSH’s mission to ensure as many people as possible have access to clean, safe water and plumbing systems.
The contribution will support IWSH initiatives that address critical water issues for marginalized communities in the United States, including deploying handwashing stations in Native American communities, installing innovative decentralized waste systems in Alabama, and providing solutions to water quality issues in small, disadvantaged communities in Texas.
“There is growing recognition of the negative public health and economic impacts experienced by communities who have long been neglected or denied basic water and sanitation services,” says Seán Kearney, managing director, IWSH. “We are grateful for Uponor’s partnership and willingness to rethink the challenges faced by these communities, so that we can continually improve how we work, and our projects can be deployed more effectively.”
The relationship between Uponor and IWSH began through the Radiant Professionals Alliance (RPA), an international trade association dedicated to increasing the use of radiant heating and cooling technologies through education and the development of codes and standards language that reflects best practices.
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For more, contact:
Patti Winger, Director, Brand & Corporate Communications, [email protected]
John O’Reilly, [email protected]
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About Uponor
Apple Valley, MN-based Uponor North America strives to be the partner plumbing and HVAC professionals rely on for smart water and energy solutions. The company is helping to move the construction industry forward through innovation, education and advocacy focusing on the defining issues of our time: water, energy and labor. An award-winning manufacturer of PEX piping and the exclusive marketer/distributor of Uponor PP-RCT in North America, the company offers plumbing, fire safety, radiant heating/cooling, hydronic piping, and pre-insulated piping system solutions for new construction, retrofits and remodels in the residential and commercial markets.
Uponor partnered with Belkin International in 2016 to form Phyn, a new intelligent water company that is revolutionizing the way consumers interact with water and helping solve major challenges facing the global water supply. Recognized for best-in-class manufacturing, sustainability, economic development and as a top workplace, the Uponor group of companies employs more than 3,800 worldwide. Uponor’s global headquarters are located in Vantaa, Finland.