Sustainability for the Water Treatment and Distribution Products Industry

On February 22, 2012 , NSF Sustainability Program along with the National Center for Sustainable Standards (NCSS) met with Water Industry Stakeholders at the NSF International headquarters to explore product sustainability standards.

The market interest in sustainable products is happening at all levels, from government mandates at the federal level to retail purchasing preferences at the consumer level. NSF has helped to establish product sustainability standards for various industries and is now bringing those same tools and experiences for use in the water treatment and distribution product industry.

The initial meeting provided an overview of existing programs, addressing various product claims, and an education on developments around standards and product assessments, including Product Category Rules (PCRs) and Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs). Sustainability standards provide a multi-attribute approach to the assessment of product sustainability over the product's life cycle. PCRs and EPDs offer a science-based standard to communicate a product's environmental impact from cradle to grave. Each of these has potential applications in the water treatment and distribution products industry.

A follow up Water Industry Stakeholder meeting is scheduled for June 20, 2012 at the NSF International headquarters. This next phase of the discussion will include review of a draft standard that begins to draw together key elements of what defines sustainable products, including methods of assessment and criteria, as it relates to the water industry. The goal is a comprehensive and transparent standard for the water industry that enables product manufacturers a means to document and demonstrate those sustainable attributes sought by the green marketplace.

For more information about the Water Sustainability Committee or questions about this initiative please contact Tom Bruursema at Bruursema@nsf.org or call 734-769-5575.