In 1998, it was reorganized around focus issues, product groups and standing committees and moved from a management company to a stand-alone organization with a dedicated staff.
The association aims to advocate for its members, with representatives in Washington, D.C. and in several US states to monitor legislation at the federal, state and local levels to ensure public health and safety, water efficiency and product performance.
[11] To provide advocacy for its members and the industry in regulatory and legislative matters,[12] PMI staff are represented on National Association of Home Builders' Leading Suppliers Council[13] and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) group Water Sense Partners,[14] which aim to develop and maintain codes and standards.
[20] In July 2024, PMI signed a letter to members of both the House Committee on Armed Services and the Senate Committee on Armed Services opposing Section 828 of S. 4628, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025, entitled "Requirement for Contractors to Provide Reasonable Access to Repair Materials," which would require contractors doing business with the US military to agree "to provide the Department of Defense fair and reasonable access to all the repair materials, including parts, tools, and information, used by the manufacturer or provider or their authorized partners to diagnose, maintain, or repair the good or service.
"[21] Membership in PMI is open to global manufacturers of plumbing industry products including potable water supply system components, fixture fittings, waste fixture fittings, fixtures, flushing devices, sanitary drainage system components, and plumbing appliances, which are marketed and sold within the territorial limits of United States and Canada.