DAHLONEGA, GA.—Breakthrough technology designed to completely eliminate water bourne bacteria legionella, tested by a research chemist at the Centre Des Technologies De L’Eau (CTE) in Montreal, is a proven strategy to save lives and possibly prevent future disease outbreaks. In July 2015, a deadly outbreak of Legionella in New York City claimed 12 lives. Legionella outbreaks have also been recently reported in Illinois, Detroit, Orlando, San Francisco, Maryland, Georgia, Spain, England and Australia. The lifesaving technology manufactured by Ozomax, Inc., Canada was tested by a research chemist at the CTE in accordance with EPA general standards. Dr. Abdelaziz Gherrou Ph.D.,...

CYPRESS, CALIF.—Earth Friendly Products, the maker of ECOS environmentally friendly cleaning products and a leader in sustainable business practices, announces that after six years of actively reducing its water usage, the company is now “water neutral.” Water neutrality is a measure of zero net water usage achieved through reducing water use and funding programs that restore water to critically depleted ecosystems. Water neutrality is part of Earth Friendly Products’ long-term commitment to minimize its environmental impacts. In addition to water neutrality, Earth Friendly Products achieved carbon neutrality in 2013 and Zero Waste Platinum certification at all its facilities in...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water, hygiene and energy technology and services, has been named to the 2016 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) North America index, a comprehensive and highly regarded assessment of leading sustainability-driven companies. This is the second consecutive year Ecolab has been named to the North America index, and the company’s third listing since 2012.“Our inclusion in the 2016 DJSI North America index reflects the commitment of our associates to responsible and sustainable business practices,” said Ecolab Chairman and CEO Douglas M. Baker, Jr. “We are honored to be recognized for this commitment,...

LOS ANGELES—“You’ve probably heard someone say, ‘I’m going outside to get some fresh air’—as if the inside air isn’t fresh. Right? Well often, it’s not.” So begins a new video that tells the story of how untreated indoor air, when emptied of such impurities as allergens, bacteria and other pollutants, dramatically reduces the workplace sickness and absenteeism that are so costly to employers.“As healthy buildings become more important and validation programs are given increased weight, businesses are focusing on the significant benefits of providing the cleanest possible air for their employees,” said Steve Levine, Chief Executive Officer of AtmosAir....

NATIONAL REPORT—A field study of rack and flight conveyor dishwashers conducted by Pacific Gas and Electric Company Food Service Technology Center (FSTC) documents the energy and water savings and economic benefits of replacing an old inefficient dishwasher with a new efficient or best-in-class dishwasher. The study, entitled “Conveyor Dishwasher Performance Field Evaluation Report,” highlights how dishwashers become less efficient over time and how many dishwashers fail to operate to their design specifications. Summary data from the nine dishwashers monitored during the study were added to nine other dishwashers previously monitored by FSTC in the last five years. One of...

NATIONAL REPORT—Electronic devices have changed the way that people work and live, often simplifying complex tasks. The iPhone is said to have combined more than 15 separate devices that Radio Shack offered, and reduced the cost of ownership while decreasing complexity. The water market offers a large set of opportunities to improve conservation using new technologies. Consider the role that chemicals historically have played for controlling water quality and the millions of gallons of hazardous chemicals that are used each day. Electronic devices are able to reduce water and chemical use by over 50 percent. Cooling towers in the United...

NORCROSS, GA.—ChlorKing’s new Chlor MSM (Mini Switch Mode) line of salt chlorinators is designed to meet the lower capacity needs of spas and smaller commercial pools, such as those at hotels and motels, while giving them the operating efficiencies and safety benefits offered for larger pools by the company’s Chlor SM (Switch Mode) line. Two models are available: Chlor MSM2 for spas and pools holding up to 2,500 gallons of water and Chlor MSM5 for pools holding up to 75,000 gallons. They are capable of using salt to produce up to 2.2 pounds of chlorine or 6 pounds, respectively,...

NATIONAL REPORT—Two months ago, Delos announced the expansion of its Stay Well hotel room program into six Marriott hotels in the United States. According to Paul Scialla, Founder and CEO of Delos, the Marriott properties are the first hotel additions to the Stay Well program since October 2012. It was then that Delos landed the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas as a client. (Delos has since launched a Stay Well Meetings program.) Stay Well rooms feature a number of upgrades to enhance the health and quality of a room environment—water purification, vitamin C infused shower, mattress...

OMAHA, NEB.—A recent check using Google Trends, which indicates how often a particular search-term is used, revealed that the term “cleaning with aqueous ozone” is receiving more than a third more queries today it than it did in July 2015. The search term was used more than 79,400 times a year ago; as of June 1, 2016 it has already been used more than 114,280 times. Because these systems are used in professional cleaning, most likely these inquiries are coming from facility managers and cleaning professionals. Yet, many people are not exactly sure what aqueous ozone is or how it can...

ANN ARBOR, MICH.—Global public health organization NSF International and ASHRAE have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) dedicated to protecting public health by establishing safe management practices for building water systems. These systems include cooling towers, air-conditioning units for large buildings, hot tubs, large complex water systems (in hotels, hospitals, cruise ships and institutions) and decorative fountains, which can be attributed to public health concerns such as Legionella.Under the terms of the MOU, NSF International will provide its 70-plus years of water industry expertise and ASHRAE will leverage its building systems expertise to jointly develop NSF 444: Prevention of...