In today’s presentation, we will answer the following questions: Why is it necessary
to conduct a plumbing profile?
Who would need to be involved in the process?
And what information is needed to get started at your facility?
The first question to ask is why do building administrators need to complete a plumbing
profile?
A plumbing profile will assist you in determining the risk of lead and copper in drinking water
for a specific building or section of a building.
It will help you understand the flow of cold water through the building so you can develop
a lead and copper sampling plan as well as a routine flushing program to prevent stagnant
water.
If you are the administrator of multiple buildings, the plumbing profile will help you focus your
efforts and funding to priority buildings.
By reviewing plumbing profiles for all buildings, school districts can prioritize sampling efforts
and focus money and time on those buildings with higher risk of lead and copper in the
drinking water.
While many people in a school district are qualified, who are the best individuals to
complete a plumbing profile?
A certification or license is not required to perform the plumbing profile for a building.
The ideal person is someone who is familiar with the building and preferably knowledgeable
about the building construction, renovations, and maintenance history.
This individual should also have the ability to learn how to categorize different types
of plumbing material in order to identify lead piping.
It is often helpful if this individual has access to and the ability to traverse all
areas of the building, including utility and mechanical rooms, basement tunnels, crawl
spaces, above ceiling and below floor utility runs, and other plumbing areas.
Now that we understand the importance of a plumbing profile, what information do you
need to perform one?
You will need to locate the as built drawings or building records for all areas included
in the profile.
You will also need to find the original construction date of the building along with the dates
and locations of building renovations and additions.
You may also need to reach out to your local community water supplier as they can help
provide you with additional information such as: The location of the water supply service
line and where it enters the building, the type of material the service line consists
of, and the results of past drinking water testing provided in the Annual Consumer’s
Confidence Report for your area.
Now that we have the preliminary information gathered, how do we begin the plumbing profile?
In order to begin a plumbing profile, you will need to obtain a copy of the School Building
Plumbing Profile Document.
This document is part of the Michigan Department of Environment,
Great Lakes, and Energy’s school drinking water quality tool kit.
You can find and download a pdf copy this document by going to our webpage and looking
under Step 2 of the Ten Steps to School and Child Care
Water Testing section.
Once you have a copy of the plumbing profile document, you will need to go through each
item and answer it to the best of your ability.
Remember anyone who is familiar with the building construction and maintenance history is a
qualified person who can perform the profile.
Completing a plumbing profile will help determine the risk of lead or copper, assist with prioritizing
locations that need to be sampled, and provide valuable information for maintaining quality
drinking water in your building.
For more information on how to
complete the plumbing
profile questionnaire and to get a copy of the Ten
Steps to School and Child Care Water Testing, visit our web page at Michigan.gov/SchoolWater.