The plumbing industry is moving towards nett-zero on water and waste

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[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Indian Plumbing Association has helped in saving 130 crore liters of water during 2019 and is gearing up to save approx. 500 crore liters in 2020 and 1,000 crore liters in 2021, says Gurmit Singh, National President, Indian Plumbing Association.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The plumbing profession / professionals have not received the due respect from the concerned authorities / society in general. How does IPA address these issues?

Plumbing has never been recognized as a respected trade even though it is the most important. Plumbing deals with water supply and sanitation and prevents 70% of the communicable disease entering into the residence. However, a client respects plumbing on the basis of 'front of the wall' of the installation. To a consumer, plumbing is seen as a shower, a wash basin mixer or a WC, which are today becoming very decorative with functionality. Plumbing contributes to Society by providing you disease free clean water and taking away your waste in a hygienic manner.

Plumbing is a science, governed by more than 1,000 pages of codes, controlling not only the flow rates but water pressures, preventing 70% of the communicable disease spreading through bad quality of water etc. Indian Plumbing Association (IPA) has been working with consumers including with CREDAI, interior decorators and architects and consumers to ensure that plumbing is a respected trade. IPA in its monthly magazine titled the 'Indian Plumbing Today', reaches out of over 5,000 professionals, which is a technical journal show casing modern plumbing technologies and techniques. IPA has been holding technical seminars throughout its twenty-two Chapters across the country and also annual events to popularize plumbing as a science and to show case the complexity, enormity and importance of plumbing.               

IPA has also tied up with Messe Frankfurt to conduct the  'ISH Powered by IPA' exhibition  in its 4th year, to show case modern plumbing practices, technologies and techniques and advancement of plumbing and is visited by a minimum of 10,000 of professionals, ensuring the understanding of plumbing technologies and techniques.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]What is your take on the codes and standards for plumbing / piping industry for residential and commercial projects, and also for drainage and sewerage systems / projects? What creative role IPA is playing here?

IPA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with International Association of Plumbing & Mechanical Officials, (IAPMO), USA, to bring out plumbing codes in India. IAPMO is a 100 year old organization and the following codes have been revised by the technical committee of the IPA, revised in 2008, 2011, 2014 and 2017 and completely indigenized to meet the requirements of Indian topography, various climatic zones and requirements, so that all pluming installations are code based.      

• We Stand (Water Efficiency & Sanitation Standard)
• Uniform Solar Energy Code-India(USEC-I)
• Uniform Swimming Pool Code-India (USPC-I)
• Water Efficient Products-India (WEP-I)
• A Guide to Good Plumbing Practices (AGGPP)
• Uniform Illustrated Plumbing Code-India (UIPC-I)

Plumbing is around 11 to 13% of the total cost of construction of the site and therefore, it is an important aspect of the construction industry. Plumbing is required in HIG, MIG & LIG, irrespective of the project cost, unlike air conditioning or fire fighting, which may not be installed in every project, even though fire fighting is also a part of the plumbing industry.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]How do you assess the market for plumbing / piping industry for residential and commercial projects and also for drainage and sewerage systems? Please brief us on the growth opportunities? What is the CAGR expected?

The market for plumbing includes residential and commercial, being a necessity. Whether the construction is a HIG, MIG or LIG, or any metro or railway station, a hospital or hotel, water supply and sanitation are a necessity. The general cost of plumbing comes to approx. 10 / 12% of a construction site and therefore, is a major component of any construction. If we look at the construction market to be about 5 lac crore, the plumbing industry is approx. 50,000 crore per annum. Whether there are projects in infrastructure or the government thrust for Open Defecation Free (ODF) India or a 'Nal Se Jal' initiative now taken up by the Jal Shakti Ministry, plumbing is used in every project and hence the compounded annual growth rates in plumbing today, in my opinion, is approx. 10%, irrespective of the negative growth rate in the residential sector. We are now looking at green shoots in cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi, where positive growth rates are being seen. However, as a whole, the plumbing industry is growing @ 10% per annum.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Has the dip in the reality segment impacted the growth of the plumbing / piping industry?

The dip in the reality segment has been basically in the residential sector in metro cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune, Bengaluru, where there has been a surplus of 10 to 12 months supply. The new constructed units last year in cities like Delhi and Mumbai were less than what was sold. This supply demand situation happens in a cyclical order, every few years in the construction industry, as the economy does well, investments spill over from stock and commodity into properties, construction does well. As far as I can see, most companies in our trade are growing even with negative real estate growth rates. Sanitation and water supply is also required in metro and railway stations which are growing, airports and infrastructure which are being added, malls which are mushrooming in Tier 1 to Tier 2 and now even Tier 3 cities and so many similar projects, which balances the growth in the plumbing industry.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]What are trends especially in the material technology? What is the contributory role played by IPA in facilitating introduction of latest systems / products for safe / healthy, and sustainable water supply?

The present trends in material technology is to see how minimum quantum of water can be used and at the same time, recycling and treatment of waste gray and black water, for use in gardening, flushing and cooling towers is used. In fact, Singapore treats its waste water to potability levels and sells it in a bottle for human consumption called 'Newwater'.   

IPA in collaboration with IAPMO, USA, brought about Codes as mentioned above. IPA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CREDAI (Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India), and is under process of signing another MoU with NAREDCO (National Real Estate Development Council), who have more than 12,000 builders each as members, to train and upgrade all plumbing installations in India. We are already committed to CREDAI to conduct one day training in 16 cities by March, 2020 and balance 34 cities by March, 2021, with a target to reach at least 4,000 members of CREDAI. The same will be done with NAREDCO once IPA signs the MoU with NAREDCO. Upgradation of skills is also one of the aims and objectives of IPA.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]What are the trends in installation technologies? 

Installation techniques to save time and money are many and cannot be elaborated in an editorial interview. For example, CPVC pipe have solvent cement joints, GI threaded joints, copper, soldered, brazed, compression push-fit, press-fit joints, PPR fusion welded, PEX pipe – press-fit, crimp-fit and expanded joints. Every piping system has different jointing techniques to save time, money and labour. Therefore, hands-on training is required in use of different available piping materials for easy, fast and correct installation. Most of the project sites require reputed and experienced plumbing contractors and also plumbing consultants now, looking at the requirements of Real Estate Regulation Act (RERA) and complexities of available materials.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Smart and eco-friendly technologies have become the norm in most of the business verticals. How does the scenario look like in the plumbing industry? What contributory role IPA plays here?

The plumbing industry is moving towards nett-zero on water and waste. There are lot of projects certified by the CII – Indian Green Building Council which are nett-zero. That means, they do not require water from the municipal corporation or grid and they do not discharge any waste into the grid. They use less water at source and harvest rain water at their project site itself and treat all waste water. If you go to the new airports today or to PVR or to an INOX, you will see the use of sensor operated taps, low flow fixtures, waterless urinals and so many eco-friendly technologies now available. IPA plays a very major role here. We have a 'I-Save Water Mission.' IPA has helped in saving 130 crore liters of water during 2019 and is now moving and gearing up to save approx. 500 crore liters of water in 2020 and 1,000 crore liters in 2021 without any compromise on the comfort level of the user. IPA will then move towards 'Jivit Jal' – a programme to motivate and instill a sense of ownership with the residents around water bodies, who will be made responsible of the water bodies around them, empowering them as citizen groups to own and look after, to prevent its destruction, thus keeping natural and environmental balance in place.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The government had its plans to eliminate the lead content in the pipes in the country. What are the initiatives IPA has taken?

Lead is not allowed in any plumbing system in India. Lead pipe, leaded solders or any lead content is not allowed in water supply piping in India and it is already legislation since several years and implemented in all water supply piping materials. Being legislation, there is no need to act on the same at present as it stands implemented.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]What are the major challenges that dent the growth of the plumbing industry?

The first issue is of high rate of taxation. Plumbing is a necessity industry and must be taxed at the lowest rate available, as it is required for every home owner or all visitors to commercial premises. The legislations and regulatory acts implemented with the building industry have been done in the very swift manner without consideration on its effects on the industry. Demonetization, GST, Benami Act, Indian Bankruptcy Code, RERA are all very good legislations and there is no doubt that the construction industry needed  regulation but bringing seven legislations together  or  giving a cancer patient seven chemotherapy session all together in one go, will certainly cure the cancer but the patient will die. This is rather a threat to the Construction Industry which is a sector, having one year unsold inventory and putting seven legislations together has certainly paralyzed the industry. These are the major challenges for 2020 inherited by the plumbing industry.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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