Edinburgh will welcome hundreds of plumbers to this year's World Plumbing Conference in September.

Speakers and delegates from countries including  Australia, South Africa, Canada, India and Germany will arrive in Scotland’s capital for four days of meetings, debates and networking.

Hosted by the Scottish & Northern Ireland Plumbing Employers’ Federation (SNIPEF), this will be the ninth World Plumbing Council (WPC) conference.

The theme this year is ‘Meeting the Global Challenge’. It will cover the major issues confronting the profession including renewables; water quality and conservation; and skills.

WPC chairman and SNIPEF chief executive Robert Burgon said he was “delighted at the level of interest which has already been shown by so many speakers and delegates from a wide variety of backgrounds and countries".

He encouraged more UK industry members to take advantage of an opportunity to meet and debate with colleagues from across the world of plumbing.

“The industry is experiencing an unprecedented period of change,” said Burgon. “We will have strong representation from the medical profession (including the World Health Organisation) because of the growing recognition of the role that plumbing plays in restricting the spread of disease and providing lifesaving clean water to so many parts of the world.

“We will also take head-on the issue of who is best qualified to meet the growing demand for renewable and sustainable technology solutions. It is vital that this work is not taken on by any so-called ‘new’ industry, but is recognised as a natural progression for the plumbing sector."

For more information about the conference visit www.wpc2011.co.uk.