DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - The Texas board that regulates plumbers is going away.
Lawmakers failed to take action during the just concluded session to keep the Texas State Board of Plumbing examiners in business. As it stands now, it'll be gone by September of 2020. Waco plumber John Crawson says it takes thousands of hours training on the job, along with classroom time to earn a license. And there are three levels of licensed plumbers, from Tradesman to Master Plumber. He says plumbers do very important work, such as install gas lines and cross connections.
"Your potable water that comes into your house can get cross-connected to sewage water leaving your house. If that happens you can get anything from dysentery to death."
Crawson says he carries a million dollar insurance policy, and doubts unlicensed plumbers would be insured. "A fly by night guy would just be gone. You wouldn't see him again, you wouldn't get your money out of him. Best case scenario you might get his truck."
He says unlicensed plumbers could hurt the trade's reputation. "People start getting these fly by night plumbers that don't have a license come in and do a job, they'll think all plumbers are bad because they got a bad job."
He hopes Governor Abbott calls a special session to keep the board in business and at the very least would like municipalities to take action to ensure plumbers in their towns are licensed.