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Massachusetts Businesses and Water Suppliers Recognized for Conserving Drinking Water

Release Date: 05/10/2001
Contact Information: Amy Miller, EPA Press Office (617-918-1042

BOSTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in partnership with New England Water Works Association, today recognized two businesses and two water suppliers in Massachusetts for their extraordinary efforts to reduce water consumption in their towns.

"Certificates of Recognition for Water Conservation" were given today in Leominster to the Acushnet Rubber Company of New Bedford and Foxboro Realty of Foxboro, as well as to their local water suppliers, New Bedford Water Department and Foxboro Water Department. These businesses and water suppliers worked together to change their "projects" to reduce their impact on drinking water supplies in southeastern Massachusetts.

Acushnet Rubber company installed a closed-loop wastewater system to recycle its wastewater to save 300 million gallons per year. Foxboro Realty worked with the Foxboro Water Department to reduce future impact of CMGI Field, the new Foxboro stadium, on Foxboro's water supplies by designing a water reuse system. This system will reduce future demand on Foxboro's water supplies by at least 60 percent.

"Businesses and water suppliers can work together to protect New England's drinking water supplies," said Ira Leighton, acting regional administrator for EPA New England. "Today's award winners are planning wisely by encouraging and actually achieving conservation of their valuable drinking water supplies. As demand for clean water supplies increases, more innovative projects such as those in Foxboro and New Bedford are crucial to ensure the future of our water supplies."

The certificates were awarded at a Massachusetts Drinking Water Day celebration as part of a Drinking Water Protection Business Honors program sponsored by EPA and the New England Water Works Association.

More information on the Drinking Water Protection Business Honors Program is available from Ted Lavery, U.S. EPA, at (617) 918-1683.