Nestlé Waters Allentown Factories Achieve Globally Recognized Water Stewardship Certification

ALLENTOWN, Pa., Oct. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Nestlé Waters North America announced today that its Allentown, Pennsylvania factories received certification under the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Standard. Created and supported by prominent environmental conservation groups, development organizations, and industry leaders, the AWS Standard is the first comprehensive global benchmark for responsible water stewardship across social, environmental, and economic criteria. This achievement was confirmed through audits conducted by SCS Global Services (SCS), a leading international third-party certification body, and sole certifier to the AWS standard in North America.

Nestlé Waters has committed to implementing the AWS Standard at all of its factories around the world by 2025. With the Allentown AWS certification, the company has so far certified 11 Nestlé Waters factories, including seven in North America.

AWS provides a platform for organizations to identify shared water challenges within the watershed where their facilities are located. Facilities demonstrate conformance to the AWS Standard under four key categories:

1. Good Water Governance
2. Sustainable Water Balance
3. Good Water Quality Status
4. Healthy Status of Important Water-Related Areas

"Water is a shared resource, and the AWS Standard has given us a common language and approach to work with others to address these issues that impact all of us as water users," said Mike Franceschetti, Allentown Factory Manager. "The AWS process has helped us better understand how we are using water inside our factory and has given us a greater appreciation for the positive impact we can have outside of our four walls, by more effectively working together with the local community."  

A number of initiatives implemented at the Allentown factories – including reusing wastewater in cooling towers, production line optimization, improved leak detection, and filling loss reduction initiatives – are projected to result in 16.6 MM gallons of water saved annually.

"AWS certification enables Nestlé Waters to provide added assurance to its customers that they are obtaining water from a highly responsible source," said Stanley Mathuram, SCS Vice President. "Our comprehensive, year-long assessment of the Allentown facilities included an on-site audit, a thorough review of operations and the watershed, and vigorous stakeholder engagement. SCS congratulates Nestlé Waters on achieving this latest certification and championing the cause of water stewardship to protect our precious fresh water resources."

As part of the AWS process, auditors conducted one-on-one interviews with local stakeholders to understand their working relationship with Nestlé Waters, as well as to gauge their understanding of key water stewardship concepts, and how their engagement with the company has affected this understanding.

"Nestlé Waters has been an environmental education partner for more than a decade, and we are excited to learn that the Allentown factories have been recognized for their water stewardship and conservation practices by achieving certification through the Alliance for Water Stewardship," said Chris Kocher, president of Wildlands Conservancy.

Nestlé Waters is committed to sponsoring and volunteering at community programs that encourage and increase awareness of water quality and water conservation. Educational programs such as ProjectWET and Trout in the Classroom benefit more than 2,800 local students every year and help build an appreciation for water resources.

Launched in 2009, AWS is a non-governmental organization founded by leading organizations representing social and environmental interests including The Nature Conservancy, Pacific Institute, Water Stewardship Australia, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Since that time, Nestlé Waters has joined dozens of other companies, government agencies, NGOs, and educational institutions as a member of AWS to promote best practices in water stewardship. 

About Nestlé Waters North America

Nestlé Waters has been operating in Pennsylvania for more than 20 years and has invested more than $350 million in its two Lehigh Valley facilities. More than 600 Pennsylvanians work in clean, safe, family-wage manufacturing jobs at Nestlé Waters. Those jobs are directly tied to sustainable water resources at the company's seven Pennsylvania spring sites.

Nestlé Waters North America offers an unrivaled portfolio of bottled waters for healthy hydration, including Deer Park^® Brand 100% Natural Spring Water, Nestlé^® Pure Life^®, Perrier^® and S. Pellegrino^®. The company also owns and operates ReadyRefresh^SM by Nestlé^®, a customizable water and beverage delivery service.

Based in Stamford, Connecticut with some 8,500 associates, we are committed to reducing our environmental footprint across our operations. As a natural resource company, we sustainably manage 47 spring sources and conserve nearly 21,000 acres of natural watershed area. We are also committed to creating shared value and being a good neighbor in the 140 communities where we operate in the U.S. For more information, visit us at www.nestle-watersna.com/en and follow us on Twitter and Facebook: @NestleWatersNA.

About SCS Global Services

SCS Global Services has been a global leader in third-party environmental and sustainability certification, auditing, testing, and standards development for more than three decades. Its programs span a cross-section of industries, recognizing achievements in green building, product manufacturing, food and agriculture, natural resource management, power generation, and more. SCS is now a leading AWS certification body, and the sole AWS-approved conformity assessment body in North America. SCS worked closely with AWS during the development stages of the certification program. SCS is based in Emeryville California, with representatives and affiliates around the world. Its broad network of auditors are experts in their fields, and the company is a trusted partner to many environmental NGOs due to its dedication to quality and professionalism. SCS is a Chartered Benefit Corporation, reflecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices.

About the Alliance for Water Stewardship

AWS is a global membership-based collaboration that unites organizations behind its mission of promoting responsible use of freshwater in a socially, economically and environmentally sustainable manner. AWS achieves this through a global water stewardship system, centered on the International Water Stewardship Standard (the AWS Standard), that drives, recognizes, and rewards good water stewardship performance. The AWS vision is that water users and managers are responsible water stewards who protect and enhance freshwater resources for people and nature. The AWS Standard provides a globally-applicable framework for major water users to understand their water use and impact, and to work collaboratively and transparently for sustainable management within water catchment areas.

SOURCE Nestlé Waters North America

Related Links

https://www.nestle-watersna.com/en