search
cart
facebook instagram twitter linkedin youtube
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • NEWS
  • PRODUCTS
  • CONTRACTORS
    • BATH & KITCHEN PRO
    • BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
    • HIGH EFFICIENCY HOMES
    • TECHNOLOGY
    • WATER TREATMENT
    • PMC COLUMNS
      • Dave Yates: Contractor’s Corner
      • John Siegenthaler: Hydronics Workshop
      • Kenny Chapman: The Blue Collar Coach
      • Matt Michel: Service Plumbing Pros
      • Scott Secor: Heating Perceptions
  • ENGINEERS
    • CONTINUING EDUCATION
    • DECARBONIZATION | ELECTRIFICATION
    • FIRE PROTECTION
    • GEOTHERMAL | SOLAR THERMAL
    • PIPING | PLUMBING | PVF
    • PME COLUMNS
      • Christoph Lohr: Strategic Plumbing Insights
      • David Dexter: Plumbing Talking Points
      • James Dipping: Engineer Viewpoints
      • John Seigenthaler: Renewable Heating Design
      • Lowell Manalo: Plumbing Essentials
      • Misty Guard: Guard on Compliance
  • RADIANT & HYDRONICS
    • RADIANT COMFORT REPORT
    • THE GLITCH & THE FIX
  • INSIGHTS
    • CODES
    • GREEN PLUMBING & MECHANICAL
    • PROJECT PROFILES
    • COLUMNS
      • Codes Corner
      • Natalie Forster: Editorial Opinion
      • Guest Editorial
    • SPONSOR INSIGHTS
  • MEDIA
    • PODCASTS
    • VIDEOS
    • WEBINARS
  • RESOURCES
    • INDUSTRY CALENDAR
    • DIRECTORIES
    • EBOOKS
    • PM BOOKSTORE
    • CE CENTER
    • MARKET RESEARCH
    • CLASSIFIEDS
  • EMAGAZINE
    • EMAGAZINE
    • ARCHIVE ISSUES
    • CONTACT
    • ADVERTISE
    • PME EMAGAZINE ARCHIVES
  • SIGN UP!
Plumbing News

Ferguson donations support Wash Station Challenge

IWSH
June 23, 2021

IWSH announced Ferguson, the largest U.S. distributor of plumbing supplies, is generously donating water tanks, frost-free faucets and stainless steel basins to be used in community hand-washing stations being deployed on the Navajo Nation.

The Wash Station Challenge 2021, which launched June 1, is a collaboration with the DigDeep Navajo Water Project, the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing, Pipefitting and Sprinkler Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA), and Ferguson.

The donation is the latest under a multiyear partnership between Ferguson and DigDeep to contribute to IWSH initiatives that address critical water issues faced by marginalized communities in the United States. Since the original MOU was signed, Ferguson has supported IWSH’s efforts on the Navajo Nation by developing household water and decentralized waste solutions on the reservation. Additionally, Ferguson has been instrumental in supporting the development of a new plumbing training program at Navajo Technical University. Through this new program, Navajo students will learn basic fundamental skills and benefit with increased access to apprenticeship and other employment opportunities.

Through June 2021, 10 UA locals and training centers across the United States are assembling approximately 20 wash stations, which will then be delivered to strategic locations on the Navajo Nation. Each station is designed to provide a month’s worth of non-potable water for daily hand-washing and general hygiene for a family of six. The UA locals are in contact with their nearby Ferguson branches to coordinate receipt of the products.

“Water and sanitation issues in the U.S. must be addressed collaboratively,” said Melissa Hazelwood, Ferguson’s senior manager of sustainability. “Ferguson, along with our partners IAPMO, IWSH, and DigDeep, is delighted to collaborate with UA locals in the implementation of this important initiative, the Wash Station Challenge 2021. Collectively, we have over 200 years of experience in the industry with proven results. When we come together as a team, we can leverage our products, resources, relationships and expertise to improve the quality of life in the Navajo Nation and ultimately for all Americans.”

“We can’t do what we do without partners like Ferguson helping us to achieve this,” IWSH North American Projects Director Jed Scheuermann said.

Scheuermann said the materials used in the construction of the wash stations were specifically chosen because with Ferguson as a national supplier that has branches throughout the United States and Canada, the parts would be available almost everywhere and the same outcome could be assured.

“We were thinking in terms of beyond the pandemic and outside the pandemic, materials that can be sourced locally, virtually anywhere in the United States and Canada,” he said, “so that when we came up with our wash station design, it didn’t matter if you were building this in Los Angeles or Pennsylvania, in Texas or in Wisconsin — you would have easy, local access to these specific parts.”

Plumbers & Gasfitters Local UA 12 (Boston) is assembling two solar-powered wash stations, and the Ferguson branch in Quincy, Massachusetts, donated large water storage tanks, accompanied by washing sinks and faucets, for UA Local 12 members to use.

“On both a local and national level, Ferguson is focused on giving back while supporting the plumbing industry as a whole,” Branch Manager Kevin Kissane said. “The Wash Station Challenge presented us with a great opportunity to do so.”

Kissane added that with Ferguson Cares, “We are committed to doing good in the communities we serve with a focus on hunger, housing, clean water and sanitation and the skilled trades. This great initiative supports our mission and allows us to work together with Plumbers & Gasfitters Local 12, DigDeep and IWSH.”

UA Local 12 Business Manager Tim Fandel said they greatly appreciated the Ferguson branch’s help in supplying them with the products and materials they needed. 

“Some of the components aren’t necessarily off-the-shelf items, so Ferguson was very helpful in just being able to make one stop and get three of the items, and deliver straight away,” he said. “So it was very helpful and appreciated that Ferguson would step up and be involved with this really worthy cause.”

Fandel said Local 12 was honored that the UA reached out nationwide and asked its members to participate in this latest IWSH collaboration.

”Unions do a lot — and Local 12 is no different — in the communities that we serve,” he said, “and although we don’t serve the Navajo Nation [on the other side of the country], obviously there’s now a unique opportunity to help out and provide this resource, so we were very appreciative and happy to be involved.”

Visit www.iwsh.org for more information on The International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation.

KEYWORDS: handwashing IAPMO IWSH PHCP Distributors

Share This Story

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Recommended Content

JOIN TODAY
to unlock your recommendations.

Already have an account? Sign In

  • Worker using the Milwaukee Tool SWITCH PACK drain cleaner

    Pipeline profits: Drain cleaning, pipe inspection create opportunities

    Drain cleaning and inspection services offer lucrative...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke
  • Uponor employee, Arturo Moreno

    The reinvestment in American manufacturing and training

    Plumbing & Mechanical Chief Editor Nicole Krawcke and...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke and Natalie Forster
  • March 2024 Women in Plumbing hero image of woman engineer overlayed by circle of hexagon shapes with numbers from 1 to 10

    Celebrating 10 Influential Women in the Plumbing Industry

    Celebrating Women's History Month and Women in...
    Plumbing News
    By: Nicole Krawcke
Subscribe For Free!
  • eNewsletters
  • Online Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service
  • eMagazine
  • Manage My Preferences

More Videos

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Plumbing & Mechanical audience. All Sponsored Content is supplied by the advertising company and any opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily reflect the views of Plumbing & Mechanical or its parent company, BNP Media. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? Contact your local rep!

close
  • J.J. Keller CMV vehicles on road
    Sponsored byJ. J. Keller & Associates, Inc.

    The dash cam game-changer for small business safety

Popular Stories

Underfloor heating installation with drain sewer hole in bathroom close up on water floor heating.

Using hydronics to leverage time-of-use electrical rates

Watts Nexa mobile image

Behind the Wall: Where smart plumbing gets smarter

Six tankless water heaters that feed the nutraceutical manufacturer’s operations.

How to deliver large volumes of hot water quickly and intermittently

PMCE Home-X April 29 Free Webinar: From Legacy to Leadership: Preparing Your Home Services Business for the Next Generation

Events

November 13, 2024

Future Proofing MEP: Navigating the 2026 High Efficiency Water Heating Standards

Join our deep dive into DOE’s new standards so you can future-proof your MEP practice.

EARN: 0.1 ASPE CEU; 1 AIA LU/HSW; 0.1 IACET CEU*; 1 PDH

View All Submit An Event

Poll

Will business be up or down in 2025?

Do you anticipate business in 2025 to be up or down in comparison to 2024?
View Results Poll Archive

Products

The Water Came To A Stop

The Water Came To A Stop

See More Products

Download the FREE Water Conservation, Quality & Safety eBook: Plumbing Trends Increasing Safe Water Availability

Related Articles

  • IWSH-Logo.gif

    Ferguson, Uponor North America support new Community Plumbing Challenge effort in Alabama

    See More
  • Ferguson Makes Leadership Gift To Support Industry Education

    See More
  • Lasco Bathware Product Donations Offer Accessible Options

    See More
×

Keep your content unclogged with our newsletters!

Stay in the know on the latest plumbing & piping industry trends.

JOIN TODAY!
  • RESOURCES
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Directories
    • Store
    • Want More
    • Supply House Times
  • SIGN UP TODAY
    • Create Account
    • eMagazine
    • eNewsletter
    • Customer Service
    • Manage Preferences
  • SERVICES
    • Marketing Services
    • Reprints
    • Market Research
    • List Rental
    • Survey/Respondent Access
  • STAY CONNECTED
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • X (Twitter)
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2025. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing