Directors of Pentair, Inc. recently declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 15 cents per share to shareholders of record at the close of business on April 27, payable May 11. First quarter 2007 sales increased five percent to $808 million; earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations were flat with the year-earlier period and free cash flow for the quarter improved to a usage of $75 million. ?
Culligan International Company has received the Good Housekeeping Seal for the fourth consecutive year. Other independent parties, including Consumers Digest and the Designing Spaces national television show, have also endorsed Culligan’s water treatment solutions. ?
The Dow Chemical Company has been awarded ‘best in class’ status from Storebrand Investments, a European financial services company committed to socially responsible investment (SRI). Dow, cited for its strong environmental practices and social performance, is the only US chemical company to receive this honor. ?
The International Ultraviolet Association recently moved its headquarters. The new mailing address is PO Box 29060, Barrie, ON, Canada L4N 7W7. Contact numbers are (705) 812-2146 phone and (705) 812-2147 fax. ?
Calgon Carbon Corp. said an appeals court declared its patent for the use of ultraviolet light to prevent infection from a parasitic disease in drinking water is invalid, according to Reuters. The company is evaluating its options regarding further action. ?
Mattson/Witt Precision Products, Inc., through its registrar (QAS International) has earned ISO9001: 2000 certification, indicating it has a logical and documented management system that meets both customer and company expectations. ?
North America
WQA and California agree on standards
Under a new agreement between Water Quality Association (WQA) and California’s Department of Health Services (CDHS), items that are already certified for NSF/ANSI Standards 44 and 53 by WQA’s Gold Seal Program would not be required to submit test data or product submissions. Manufacturers must still pay the required fees to CDHS and would then automatically be issued a California Certificate. The agreement significantly shortens the approval process from months to possibly days. Products not certified by either Gold Seal or NSF International would have to follow the original, longer process to receive a California Certificate.
Purolite certification announced
The Water Quality Association has certified Purolite’s ArsenXnp product under the NSF/ANSI-61 Standard for Drinking Water for multiple regenerations. This is the first arsenic removal product of its kind to receive this certification. Initially certified for only one-time use and one regeneration, ArsenXnp can now be regenerated multiple times, providing significant operating cost reductions for arsenic removal in drinking water. In addition, the product can be retrofitted into existing plants that currently use one-time arsenic removal media such as GFO, GFH or TiO2, allowing all users to implement multiple regeneration technology.
Bottled water statistics released
The International Bottled Water Association (IBWA) released bottled water statistics compiled by the Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) for 2006 that show that US bottled water sales and consumption continue to rise as consumers increasingly choose bottled water over other beverages. Total volume exceeded 8.25 billion gallons, a 9.5 percent increase over 2005 and the per capita consumption level of 27.6 gallons increased by over two gallons, from 25.4 gallons per capita the previous year.
VitrA USA becomes first WaterSense manufacturer
VitrA USA, manufacturer of a wide-variety of bathroom and water-saving products, is the first manufacturer to partner with US Environmental Protection Agency’s (US EPA) WaterSense program. The firm joined the program in January. VitrA holds monthly training sessions and displays working models at their headquarters in Suwanee, Georgia, where customers can familiarize themselves with the water-saving technologies associated with the latest generation of high-efficiency toilets, one flush at a time.
Contaminant regulation determined
US EPA issued a preliminary determination not to regulate 11 contaminants on the second drinking water contaminant candidate list (CCL). The preliminary regulatory determination, based on an extensive review of health effects and occurrence data, concludes that the specific contaminants do not occur at levels of public health concern in public water systems. Perchlorate and MTBE require additional investigation to ascertain total human exposure and health risks and US EPA is providing a summary of current health, occurrence and exposure information. The agency is seeking comment and additional information to help with the evaluations.
Syntron seal products acquired by Garlock
Garlock Klozure®, a division of Garlock Sealing Technologies, announced the acquisition of the Syntron RP Mechanical Seal line from FMC Technologies, Inc. Constructed of brass or stainless steel, with flexible drive rings and lapped seal faces, these small, cartridge-type, double seals are used to seal fluids and gases on various rotating equipment such as pumps, compressors and mixers. The Syntron mechanical seal line and associated assets have relocated to Garlock Klozure’s new, multi-million dollar facility in Palmyra, NY.
Sylvan Source product honored
Sylvan Source received the 2007 Frost & Sullivan Product Innovation Award in the North American residential drinking water treatment systems market for its M-600 treatment system. Frost & Sullivan chose the product for its original design features and efficiency. The maintenance-free system integrates degassing, distillation and demisting technologies into a unique multi-step cleaning process to reduce contaminants and satisfy stringent water certification requirements.
National licensing sought by Seawright
According to BusinessWire, Seawright Holdings, Inc., owner of Seawright Springs Premium Natural Spring Water, began the 50-state compliance process to meet licensing requirements that will allow it to distribute its water product in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Each state has somewhat different authorization. The phrase ‘50 state compliance’ is commonly used describe the varied licensing requirements of each individual state, which include a variety of standards. Meeting the requirement is relatively rare for a regional bottled water brand. The company also plans to be one of the first spring water businesses to successfully use biodegradable bottles. In the first quarter of 2008, the current proprietary-design bottle and all packaging will be converted to biodegradable products.
AdEdge product rated number one
AdEdge Technologies, Inc.’s Bayoxide® E33 media for arsenic reduction received test results rating the product as the number one performing media in a recent Sandia National Labs (SNL) pilot test in Socorro, NM. Performance evaluations were made on five different adsorptive media. The pilot demonstration, a project of the Arsenic Water Technology Partnership program, involved the American Water Works Association Research Foundation (AWWARF), SNL and WERC: A Consortium for Environmental Education and Technology Development.
Pure1-Beckmann distribution agreement
Pure1 Systems announced the expansion of its coverage to vending and OCS companies with an arrangement with Hollywood, Florida-based Burdette Beckmann, Inc. The firm will represent Pure1 across 19 states in territories they serve with vending and coffee products. Current clients will be encouraged to purchase Pure1 equipment to expand customer offerings, including point of use (POU) water systems.
AirWater patent dispute amended
MarketWire reported that AirWater Corporation has filed a first-amended complaint against WorldWide Water LLC, Air2Water LLC, Freewater Company dba, as Freewater Inc. and Michael (aka Mike/ Menachem) Klein. Complaint allegations include patent infringement and trade libel regarding air-to-water technology. The relief sought is the dismantling of an illegal patent pooling arrangement among the defendants and, alternatively, the compulsory licensing of the pooled patents under reasonable terms and conditions.
AgION and Aquatronics partnership
AgION Technologies Inc. has formed a partnership with Aquatronics Industries to incorporate AgION’s natural, antimicrobial technology into its point of use/point of entry (POU/POE) water purification systems, reported BusinessWire. The antimicrobial technology will be incorporated into water filtration devices during the manufacturing process and continuously released silver ions will prevent the growth of microorganisms in the filter system for the life of the product.
Bottled rainwater in Texas
It took four years for Richard Heinichen to convince the health department that rain is a source of water and bring Richard’s Rainwater to market, reported KXAN News. Heinichen’s simple and effective but winning argument, “Rainwater is the granddaddy of all water. All water is rainwater first,” inspired the term cloud juice and the first-of-its-kind enterprise. The new bottled water is being produced in Dripping Springs, Texas. After collection and prefiltration, water is stored for about a year in fiberglass tanks; then undergoes reverse osmosis (RO) treatment and bottling. Sales have jumped from 100 cases each month to more than 300 each week. The water is also being sold under private and corporate labels.
Ontario to tax water bottlers
According to The Toronto Star, Ontario province plans to slap a fee on companies that bottle large amounts of water taken from the Great Lakes basin. Legislation wasn’t expected to set a firm dollar figure on the water-taking fees. Instead, the government would authorize itself to consult and negotiate details with affected parties. The bottled water industry is expected to oppose any additional costs on its operations. The legislation would also enshrine into law a deal signed in December 2005 by Ontario, Quebec and eight US states to strengthen restrictions on bulk water exports out of the Great Lakes, aimed mainly at preventing states in the south and midwest from tapping into the lakes.
Latin America
Dominican Republic filter test successful
A simple, affordable household filtration device can reduce the incidence of diarrhea, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have shown. Science Daily reported that the team’s initial analysis in the Dominican Republic showed that simple biosand filters reduced diarrheal disease among household members by an estimated 30 to 40 percent, including in highly vulnerable children less than five years old. At the end of the study, filters were given to all participating homes.
Filtration device developed by high schoolers
Nerinx Hall High School (Webster Groves, Mo.) seniors Jenny Mullinkin and Katy Beckerle developed an easy-to-build water filtration device that will be deployed in the village of Chinantla, Mexico. KSDK News reported that the system could be made from every day items to remove dangerous bacteria: filters are made out of coffee grounds and terra cotta. Sand and carbon (readily available natural materials) top the filters, which are fired in an open pit to cure them. The students’ work was funded through a grant awarded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Bottled water favored in Chile
The Water Connoisseur reported that Chile’s consumption of bottled water grew by over 25 percent last year, based on reports from market consultants Latin Panel. Emerging new brands, lower and more competitive prices and a string of new additives are giving customers a much wider selection. Mineral- and vitamin-enriched, purified and sodium-free varieties are already available.
Europe
Unilever leads HaloSource financing
HaloSource Inc., announced that Unilever Technology Ventures, the venture arm of UK consumer goods giant Unilever, led its latest round of financing with six million dollars in funding. The company will use the money to accelerate its drinking water purification business in the developing world.
Siemens Slovak contract announced
Siemens is to upgrade the water and sewage system of the Slovak Bratislava Waterworks Company (BVS), set up an integrated control facility and operate the entire IT system for four years commencing at the end of 2007. The waterworks will thus be able to manage its operations centrally and lower its operating costs. The contract is valued at some 18 million euros (630 million Slovak crowns; $24.5 million US) and will run until 2011.
KIWA certification and inspection
The Dutch Board of Experts-Domestic Appliances recently requested comment on a draft certification guideline for water treatment products. The draft describes the requirements for water treatment products for domestic use, intended to be used with water temperatures between -5 and 50°C (23 and 122°F) and a maximum working pressure of 6 bar. When finalized, the document will be used to form the basis of certification for the KQ-kite product mark that verifies products are well tested and certified by an independent institute.
Asia
Sanyo markets home filtration
Sanyo Electric Co.’s newly developed Aquaoasis water filtration device for individual households and housing complexes will go on sale in Indonesia soon, the Daily Yomiuri reported. The unit, comprised of a filter and ozone generator, first removes fine debris by filtering well water and rainwater; an ozone spray then sterilizes the water. Developed in cooperation with Bandon Institute of Technology (BIT) in Indonesia, the device will be manufactured in Indonesia and will be priced at $700 (83,000 yen), less than half the price of the existing models. Sanyo intends to expand exports of the device eventually to other developing nations with inadequate waterworks, including India, China and Central American nations