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On their day off Saturday, March 30 union plumbers fanned out across the state to provide free plumbing repairs and inspections to senior, low-income and disabled homeowners as part of Water’s Off. This community service program helps homeowners in need while raising awareness of the importance of water conservation attained through proper plumbing maintenance and repair.
“Giving back to our communities is one of our core union principles, so once we identified the problem, we knew we needed to help,” said David Ybarra, President of the Minnesota Pipe Trades Association, which represents more than 9,000 plumbers, pipefitters, and other skilled union tradesmen and women.
This past weekend, in partnership with local Community Action Partnership agencies, 70 homeowners from the Twin Cities to Rochester were treated to no-cost assistance from a local union member.
Since the Water’s Off community service program started in 1994, union plumber volunteers have donated more than 12,500 hours of skilled labor, with a value of $2,000,000.
“These volunteers aren’t just fixing a leaky toilet,” said Marcia Paulson, the program coordinator for Ramsey and Washington County’s Community Action Partnership. “They’re saving money for homeowners and showing that someone’s looking out for them.”
Water’s Off is supported by three local unions (Minneapolis Plumbers Local 15, Rochester Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 6, and Saint Paul Plumbers Local 34), the Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association, the Metro Plumbing Heating and Cooling Contractors and three Community Action Partnership agencies (Hennepin County, Ramsey and Washington Counties and Three Rivers).