The 11th day of March every year is observed as World Plumbing Day. It’s a holiday that celebrates the people who keep our sinks and toilets running. Of course, plumbers do a lot more than just clear and maintain drains. They also install and repair piping systems in homes, businesses, and manufacturing factories, install appliances, and repair broken pipes and fixtures.

In other words, if it has to do with water (and sometimes gas) in a building, then plumbers have had something to do with it. Yet few people go out of their way to show these professionals the respect they deserve. Hopefully, this holiday changes that and inspires people to give plumbers the thanks and appreciation they deserve.

The History of World Plumbing Day

This holiday can be traced back to 2010 when the World Plumbing Council decided to create a holiday to raise people’s awareness of the plumbing profession. Of course, this council also wanted to promote the relationship between this profession and public health and environmental sustainability.

The history of plumbing predates the creation of this holiday, however. By quite a lot, in fact. Plumbing originated in several different ancient cultures simultaneously. Plumbers worked in the Greek, Roman, Chinese, Indian, and Persian civilizations.

They helped to build irrigation systems, provide water for public baths, and construct the sewer infrastructure needed for wastewater removal. Their work allowed these civilizations to flourish and helped control the spread of waterborne diseases.

Facts About Plumbing

Since most people are probably not very familiar with plumbing or what plumbers do, we thought we’d attempt to fill these educational gaps with some well-researched information. We found the following factoids during our research on World Plumbing Day and think that people interested in celebrating this holiday might be interested in learning a bit more about this profession.

• About 5,000 years ago, the Indus River Valley Civilization used earthen plumbing pipes to deliver potable water and remove wastewater.
• A leaky faucet that drips once per minute will waste half a gallon of water over the course of a week.
• The word “plumber” comes from the Latin word “plumbum,” which means “lead.”

Observing World Plumbing Day

This holiday can be observed in numerous ways. First and foremost, parents, teachers, and other educators can educate students about the importance of plumbing and how it is a viable career option.

It’s also a day for people to educate themselves about plumbing and to show some appreciation to the plumbers they know. People can also spread the love online by using the hashtag #WorldPlumbingDay.