IBM, Xylem and the International City/County Managers Association (ICMA) Join Forces with Growing Blue

CHICAGO, June 27, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Growing Blue today announced that IBM, Xylem Inc. and the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), represented by its Center for Sustainable Communities, have joined as new members of the Growing Blue network. The organizations will become part of Growing Blue's executive committee and will support its mission of raising awareness about water resource challenges and the need for thoughtful solutions.

Growing Blue is a data-driven, online resource designed to help local communities and businesses gain a better understanding of these water challenges. Together, IBM, Xylem and ICMA bring hundreds of years of combined experience dealing with the day-to-day realities of delivering city services and meeting the needs of industry. Their addition to Growing Blue's network will expand the organization's reach and information resources to provide decision-makers with the data and best practices they need to face a world marked by increasing water scarcity and challenge.

"On behalf of our members whose decisions affect thousands of communities and millions of individuals worldwide, ICMA collects and disseminates the best data and case studies for implementing efficiency and effectiveness in local government management," said Tad McGalliard, director of sustainability at ICMA. 

Speaking for Growing Blue, Upmanu Lall, Columbia University's Water Center director, said that "These three organizations add important new voices to Growing Blue, including the voice of policymakers and implementers who understand the vital importance of water for life, for the environment and for the economy. We're excited to partner with them as we all work to preserve and protect this vital resource."

To follow Growing Blue on Twitter, please visit www.twitter.com/growingblue. Growing Blue offers a number of resources, including water management tools, interactive maps and case studies, all of which can be found at www.growingblue.com.

About IBM
For more information about IBM visit www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/water.

About ICMA
ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, advances professional local government worldwide. The organization's mission is to create excellence in local governance by developing and fostering professional management to build sustainable communities that improve people's lives. ICMA provides member support; publications; data and information; peer and results-oriented assistance; and training and professional development to 9,000 city, town, and county experts and other individuals and organizations throughout the world.

About Xylem
Xylem (XYL) is a leading global water technology provider, enabling customers to transport, treat, test and efficiently use water in public utility, residential and commercial building services, industrial and agricultural settings. The company does business in more than 150 countries through a number of market-leading product brands, and its people bring broad applications expertise with a strong focus on finding local solutions to the world's most challenging water and wastewater problems. Launched in 2011 from the spinoff of the water-related businesses of ITT Corporation, Xylem is headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., with 2011 revenues of $3.8 billion and 12,500 employees worldwide.

About Growing Blue
Growing Blue was created to tell the important story of how water is as essential to economic and social growth as it is to ensuring healthy ecosystems and the environment.  Growing Blue serves as a resource for credible, accurate information on water, and aims to increase awareness of global water challenges and the need for thoughtful solutions. In consultation with industry colleagues, scientists, academia and environmental professionals at leading NGOs, Growing Blue is a repository for water-focused data that is used to generate interactive maps that better inform people on the current state of water and the impacts of daily life on dwindling water resources around the world.

The web site is managed by representatives from the non-profit, academic and corporate sectors including The Nature Conservancy, Clean Water America Alliance, World Business Council for Sustainable Development, United Nations Global Compact CEO Water Mandate, The Earth Institute at Columbia University, Global Water Intelligence, Cardno ENTRIX, IBM, Xylem, International City Managers Association and Veolia Water. The site is available online at www.growingblue.com.

SOURCE Growing Blue