For the Media

11/11/2009

American Standard Faucets – Now Available in Green

All faucets to meet 2010 lead-free standards; all eligible faucets are WaterSense®-certified

PHOENIX, AZ, GREENBUILD EXPO (November 11, 2009) — American Standard has the widest variety of faucet styles and choices that meet the strictest green building codes. All American Standard bathroom faucets are now WaterSense®-certified and will be lead-free to meet the upcoming new standards required by California and Vermont.

In addition, all American Standard kitchen and bar faucets sold nationwide will meet these new lead-free requirements. WaterSense does not certify kitchen and bath faucets for water-efficiency.

Meeting the EPA’s strict WaterSense maximum flow rate requirement of 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm), all American Standard residential lavatory faucets incorporate pressure-compensating aerators that provide 32 percent water savings over standard models without sacrificing performance. According to EPA estimates, the average U.S. household can save over 500 gallons of water annually by installing WaterSense faucets.

All American Standard residential lavatory and kitchen faucets will now contain less than one quarter of one percent (0.25%) total lead content by weighted average. To attain this new lead-free standard, American Standard is one of the few brands that remains solid-brass, rather than turning to plastic components. “Brass is more resistant than plastic to chemicals in drinking water. It is also significantly less sensitive than plastic to high temperatures or temperature fluctuations, which can cause the faucet to fail and result in water damage to a home,” explained Kamen Chopov, American Standard vice president and general manager of faucets. “Historically, our faucets have used less lead than many of our competitors, thanks to our investment in a low-lead manufacturing technology more than 25 years ago,” Chopov added.

Available in the widest array of styles and profiles in the industry, American Standard’s WaterSense-certified and lead-free bath faucets are perfectly suited to a range of green and LEED projects. All models are equipped with washerless ceramic disc valves for a lifetime of water-saving performance and prevention against the potential waste caused by a dripping faucet, which can add up to as many as 2,700 gallons of water per month according to the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD).
For more information on lead-free bath and kitchen faucets, WaterSense-certified bath faucets, and other American Standard products, visit www.americanstandard.com or call (800) 899-2614.

ABOUT AMERICAN STANDARD BRANDS
American Standard Brands is a leading North American manufacturer of a wide range of high quality kitchen and bath products including faucets, fixtures, furniture, vitreous china fixtures, cast iron sinks, whirlpool tubs and other related products. The company currently serves both the residential and commercial markets, employs more than 6,000 people in the U.S., Canada and Mexico and markets products under the American Standard®, Crane®, Eljer®, Porcher®, Jado® and Fiat® brands. American Standard Brands is an affiliated portfolio company of Sun Capital Partners with a minority interest held by Bain Capital Partners, Inc.