This issue of Working Pressure magazine deals with water quality and efficiency. Our most precious resource is clean water. We are blessed in Wisconsin and the Great Lakes area with an abundance of clean, drinkable water. Every day, we get up and brush our teeth, take a shower, make our favorite morning beverages, and drive off to work. Imagine what life would be like if we did not have access to this life-sustaining liquid — civilization would crumble. Adults, on average, are made up of 60% water. Today, we turn on the tap and our day starts. In many countries, the day starts with taking buckets or urns to a water source many miles away and bringing them back to the domicile. In Sicily, 100 years ago, my great-grandmother would walk to the fountain in Porticello to get water for her family. They would use water for cooking, cleaning and bathing — the pasta won’t boil with hot air on the stove. I am thankful my great-grandfather, Vincent P. Gallo I, packed up the family and got them to America for a better life. How many of us have a similar story?
Clean water is essential, but the quality is also important. Turbidity, taste, smell, mineral content and biofilm are all sources of concern in our water. Local 75’s very own Bob Lanphear wrote an article on hard water vs. soft water for this issue. It is a very interesting read for not only professionals, but homeowners and customers as well. Take time to peruse the different conditions water can be in, and how it can be made more useful in our lives.
Finally, the 2026 ASSE International Mid-Year Meeting is just around the corner — April 14-15 in St. Louis, MO at UA Local 562. The agendas have been set and we look forward to seeing you there!
