"P.E." behind the engineer's name brings value to your project

In the world of water and wastewater systems, most of us interface with engineers – most of whom have a “P.E.” after their name.  This message is not to depreciate the value of P.E.s nor to call for any change in who we are interfacing with…the point of this note is to help all of us better understand the big picture in how things get done in our water and wastewater world.

It is a little known fact that less than 10% of all  graduate engineers are P.E.s.  This is due to the fact that most engineers are not asked to produce a license or P.E. registration.  The reason that some engineers become P.E.s and others don’t is involved in the fact that only “public construction” typically requires a P.E. to stamp/submit plans for approval.  And, though it is ironic, extremely few P.E.s require submittal or transmittal on all of the construction related materials for public construction.  It’s like the “don’t ask, don’t tell” conundrum.

The vast majority of engineers – therefore – go completely unrecognized in our day to day routines.  Yet, nearly every major manufacturer of equipment and controls (and even pipe and concrete reinforcements) have engineers employed by the manufacturer at various levels within the organization.

“So what?”, you may say.  Well, it costs almost nothing for your engineer to require that transmittals and submittals on subsystems for your utility be transmitted or stamped by an engineer or professional from the supplier.  And, when such a request is made by the P.E., it raises the bar of competence – since the acquiring of a P.E. is a time consuming and expensive process…and, any licensed engineer is bound to be cautious (careful in her/his review) in providing data, designs and associated equipment.  Thus, the real question should be, “Why not”!

No one objects to requiring their attorney to be a licensed attorney (almost no attorneys are not licensed).  Why would you accept the complex equipment and integration of such equipment in public infrastructure to be assembled, designed or built without a P.E. at the manufacturing/construction end of the project?

It is up to you.  Cost is nothing.  Value is an established level of competence.

Don