LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa.,
May 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Air
Products' (NYSE: APD) manufacturing facility in Santa Clara, Calif., has installed a new water
treatment system that uses recycled water instead of potable
(drinking) water in its industrial cooling process. The conversion
to recycled water conserves nearly 62 million gallons of drinking
water annually for Milpitas, the
City of Santa Clara and
San Jose residents and
significantly reduces Air Products' water costs.
Air Products is now one of the largest among more than 550
customers connected to the South Bay Water Recycling (SBWR)
recycled water line, which consists of more than 100 miles of pipe
delivering 15 million gallons of recycled water per day from the
San Jose/Santa Clara Water
Pollution Plant in Alviso.
SBWR preserves valuable drinking water by distributing
recycled water for non-drinking uses, such as irrigating food
crops, parks, schools, golf courses and business-park landscaping,
as well as cooling buildings and industrial processes.
According to Luke Charpentier,
Air Products Santa Clara site manager, the project represents a
win-win situation for both the company and the citizens of
Santa Clara. "Air Products
strives to find sustainable solutions for its day-to-day
operations, and one way to meet that goal is to reduce water
consumption. With our new recycled water treatment system, we are
reducing our water costs while conserving valuable drinking water
for our community."
The extension of the SBWR pipeline to Air Products' property was
made possible through funding from the United States Department of
the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, as part of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 for California. Approximately a third of the
$750,000 project cost was spent to
construct and install the pipeline to the facility. Additionally,
Air Products invested additional monies to connect to the new line,
improve water chemistry controls, and upgrade the systems for
recycled water. All recycled water pipes are color-coded purple, a
national standard used to identify recycled water.
"The use of recycled water is playing a significant and growing
role as part of the solution to water issues in the western
United States," said Donald R. Glaser, director of the Bureau of
Reclamation's Mid-Pacific Region. "Projects like this demonstrate
the importance of corporate leadership and public-private
partnerships in developing supplemental water supplies. They also
show that President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
funds are helping the economy of local communities and
demonstrating the overall commitment to infrastructure to make
efficient use of the limited water resource."
Limited drinking water supplies will continue to tighten across
the state of California. To meet
the 2020 forecasted drinking water demands, the Santa Clara Valley
Water District has identified that 10 percent of the total water
supply for Santa Clara County must
come from recycled water.
"We are pleased to have Air Products on board as one of our
largest customers on the system," said Patricia M. Mahan, Mayor of the City of Santa Clara. "Together we are
demonstrating our commitment to match appropriate water sources to
suitable uses. Water recycling reduces the amount of fresh water
that is discharged from the San
Jose/Santa Clara Water Pollution Control Plant into the
delicate salt marshes of the South San Francisco Bay. This helps to
protect the environment and ensure a sustainable water supply for
the future."
Air Products employs 35 people at its Santa Clara facility where it operates an air
separation plant producing oxygen, nitrogen and argon for
industrial applications. The site also serves as a distribution
center for electronic specialty gases and helium. It was
established in 1973 to support the growing electronics business in
the Silicon Valley, as well as a variety of other industries
including mining, medical, food freezing, aerospace and
agriculture.
Air Products (NYSE: APD) serves customers in industrial, energy,
technology and healthcare markets worldwide with a unique portfolio
of atmospheric gases, process and specialty gases, performance
materials, and equipment and services. Founded in 1940,
Air Products has built leading positions in key growth markets
such as semiconductor materials, refinery hydrogen, home healthcare
services, natural gas liquefaction, and advanced coatings and
adhesives. The company is recognized for its innovative culture,
operational excellence and commitment to safety and the
environment. In fiscal 2009, Air Products had revenues of
$8.3 billion, operations in over 40
countries, and 18,900 employees around the globe. For more
information, visit www.airproducts.com.
***NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements.
Actual results could vary materially, due to changes in current
expectations.
SOURCE Air Products