The International Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Foundation (IWSH) is honored to announce that Southern California Pipe Trades District Council 16 and the Southwest Pipe Trades Association (SWPTA) have become the latest IWSH Gold-level Global Partners.

Through this collaboration, IWSH and the pipe trades will continue their important work bringing water and sanitation to communities in need. On the Navajo Nation in the Southwestern United States, IWSH is teaming up with the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA) and the DigDeep Navajo Water Project to deliver mobile wash stations to designated points on the reservation. The organizations have also collaborated on Community Plumbing Challenges that brought clean, running water and safe wastewater disposal to more than a dozen homes and a temporary chapter house on the Navajo Nation. In Texas, IWSH worked with UA Plumbers Local 68 (Houston) to highlight and address water-quality issues in Nome that were aggravated by winter storm conditions.

Southern California Pipe Trades District Council 16 represents 13 UA locals in Southern California, with jurisdiction spanning from San Luis Obispo and Bakersfield to Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino County, and San Diego.

"The most vital part of human life is water, and we at Southern California Pipe Trades District Council 16 are fortunate and honored to be given the opportunity to align ourselves with an organization that gives so much back to this vital resource," said Business Manager/Financial Secretary Rodney Cobos. "No matter how remote the location nor the challenges it presents, we will continue to assist and support this endeavor."

The Southwest Pipe Trades Association (SWPTA) was chartered in 1914 to represent the common interests of the union workers and Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) contractors of the Southwest plumbing and pipefitting industry. The SWPTA proudly serves the highly trained journeymen and apprentice plumbers, pipefitters, welders, sprinkler fitters, and HVAC-R service technicians of the 13 local unions of Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.

"The members and leadership of the Southwest Pipe Trades Association have a core belief in protecting the health and safety of this nation," said SWPTA Political Director Ron Lord. "Providing safe drinking water through projects by IWSH is simply a continuation toward that fundamental idea. Working collaboratively with the Southwest Pipe Trades Association, IWSH and all the other partners who volunteer time, money, people, and resources in pursuit of safe drinking water for those without it is an honor and a worthwhile endeavor."

"The support of these two pipe trades associations is another massive boost for IWSH," said IWSH Managing Director Seán Kearney. "Not only does their generous financial backing further enable our work across the U.S. and internationally, but their endorsement really helps us build further connections with the skilled men and women of the United Association, who always contribute so much to the IWSH cause. In turn, we hope that the experiences of supporting IWSH on the ground provide unique personal and professional development opportunities for these skilled volunteers. We are very grateful for their support and participation and will keep doing all we can to drive these collaborations forward."