GreenPlumbers, an accreditation regimen based on an Australian program aimed at training plumbers in water conservation and climate care issues, Jan. 17 went live with its GreenPlumbers USA Web site.   
    The site, www.greenplumbersusa.com, promotes the program's five-course, 32-hour, accreditation in environmental and technical issues and additional information about the facets of the program. Accredited "GreenPlumbers" can set themselves apart from their competition by adopting an environmentally-friendly position in their respective markets.
    "Plumbers have long held their mission to be protecting the health of the country,” said Stephen Lehtonen, spokesperson for GreenPlumbersUSA and executive director of the California PHCC.  “Because of climate change and global warming, our new mission is to protect the resources of the planet by training plumbers to be advocates and educators in environmental protection and conservation.”
    Lehtonen facilitated a 15-year agreement that allows the GreenPlumbers training program originated by the by the Master Plumbers and Mechanical Services Association of Australia to be implemented in the United States.  
    The goal for 2008 in the United States is to train at least 8,000 'green' plumbers. A GreenPlumbers accreditation license for contractors supports and protects the integrity of the brand. “In the next 10 years we plan to train 15,000 green plumbers in California and 40,000 nationally,” Lehtonen said. “We want to make the training free and available to all plumbers.”