For the Media

7/13/2010

Rahway High School Students Make the Case for Water Efficient Retrofits in NJ Public Schools

Water Champions present school water audit results to school board members, local, federal and state officials, as well as private industry

* Click here to watch the Rahway High School students talk about their findings.

* Click here to read about the New Jersey Water Savers Program.

RAHWAY, N.J. (July 13, 2010) — High school students in Rahway, NJ believe their school could reduce its water use by two-thirds — up to 1.6 million gallons of water and approximately $6,500 in cost — a year by upgrading the bathrooms to the latest in water-saving plumbing fixtures and faucets. 

Members of the Rahway High School Social Action Club are presenting the results of their water audit and cost/benefit analyses today to members of the Rahway school board, representatives of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the NJ Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), Rutgers University, local Rahway officials and executives from American Standard Brands.

The Social Action Club members created Rahway Water Champions in conjunction with the NJDEP, Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program and the NJ Watershed Ambassadors.  The group’s objective is to take action in their school and community to promote water efficiency and publicize the EPA's WaterSense^® program, which identifies high efficiency plumbing products and their corresponding water savings.

Based on the student’s initial findings, the NJ Water Savers program provided a grant to cover the labor costs to update two bathrooms in the high school with new plumbing fixtures this summer.  Once the fixtures are installed, the students will conduct a post audit to compare their projections to the actual water savings, plus measure the user satisfaction.  In addition to finalizing their reports, the students will continue their outreach to the community to demonstrate the many ways New Jersey residents can “go blue” and save water as individuals.

Piscataway-based American Standard Brands donated the high efficiency faucets, toilets and urinals to the school as part of the company’s participation in the New Jersey Water Savers program.  “The efforts of these students coincide well with American Standard’s goal to educate consumers that water conservation can and does begin at home – and at school,” said Don Devine, president and chief executive officer of American Standard Brands.  “As a New Jersey employer, we are pleased to help a new generation learn the science of sustainable buildings.” 

“We are greatly appreciative of American Standard's contributions. The water efficient products they have donated will not only bring immediate water savings to Rahway schools but will demonstrate to Rahway residents how easy it is for anyone to take similar water saving measures right in their own homes," said Jeffrey Robinson, Chairman to the Rahway Environmental Commission.

 Rahway One of Five New Jersey Water Savers Pilot Programs Underway

The Rahway Water Champions program is one of five pilot communities across New Jersey selected to participate in the state’s Water Savers Program. Out of forty applicants, five communities were chosen due to their specific water supply issues, as well as their varied demographics and locales: Rahway, Livingston, Belmar, East Greenwich and Egg Harbor. 

 The New Jersey Water Savers Program is a partnership between the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Water Resources Program, the NJDEP and the EPA.  The program seeks to identify best practices in water conservation, to encourage local stakeholders to change their water use behavior and identify ways to save New Jersey taxpayers money.  By delaying or even eliminating the need to develop new or expanded water supply systems and wastewater treatment plants, capital expenditures can be reduced over the long term resulting in significant savings for both municipalities and state government.

American Standard is supporting the New Jersey Water Savers program in all five pilots, which includes tests on various government structures such as schools and municipal buildings.  “These results can provide a good case to support the cost-effective steps we can all take to mitigate New Jersey infrastructure costs related to our water demand,” stated Devine. “Using the high efficiency toilets, urinals and faucets supplied by American Standard, we're confident that the these other government buildings will achieve a minimum of 20% water savings, and believe it can be significantly higher."

 Investing in Water Conservation Technology and Education

A privately-held manufacturer of North American plumbing brands, American Standard has invested heavily in innovative technology and human resources to create plumbing products that save water while out-performing older, less efficient equipment. 

More recently, the company has expanded its efforts to raise awareness of water conservation solutions among the general public, including a $1 million commitment to The Nature Conservancy to increase awareness of how consumers can conserve water every day.  American Standard Brands has also created ResponsibleBathroom.com and an accompanying Responsible Bathroom mobile tour visiting 300 locations in the U.S., Canada and Mexico this year.  The goal of the Responsible Bathroom campaign is to achieve two billion gallons in water savings through pledges that can qualify for prizes and rewards. 

More information can be obtained online regarding the Rahway Water Champions, the NJ Water Savers Program, and the EPA’s WaterSense program.

For more information about American Standard water efficient products and efforts, visit ResponsibleBathroom.com.

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 5,000 people in the United States, 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.