NSPE and the Michigan Society of Professional Engineers are teaming up to oppose legislation that would hinder the ability of professional engineers to use their expertise and sound judgment to determine the correct type of piping for public works projects. Michigan SB 157 states, “A public entity shall not enter into a contract involving a public works project that is financed in whole or in part by public funds unless…the pipe and piping materials to be used for the public works project meet or exceed the recognized standards for pipe and piping materials on similar projects as determined by the American Society for Testing and Materials or the American Water Works Association…and meet the performance specifications for the public works project.” In a joint letter to the Senate Committee on Michigan Competitiveness chairman, NSPE President Kodi Jean Verhalen, P.E., Esq., F.NSPE, and MSPE President Michael Schwartz, P.E., asserted that “If this bill were to pass, professional engineers would not have the final decision on selection of appropriate piping material for projects. It is the professional engineer who protects our safety and the professional engineer who must make this decision…
All professional engineers are already obligated to choose the right piping material, based upon experience, expertise, qualifications, and the applied knowledge of engineering principles.”