BEIJING, China, Mar. 21, 2012 -- In observance of World Water Day 2012, Xylem, a world leader in the water business, officially launches its Xylem Watermark 2012 China Program in conjunction with China Women's Development Foundation, Xylem's China non-profit partner. Xylem Watermark is the company's global corporate citizenship and social investment program started in 2008. Its mission is to provide safe water, sanitation and hygiene education to schools and communities in developing countries, as well as to deliver disaster relief water supplies in the aftermath of emergencies. In China, Xylem plans to provide a clean water supply and sanitation along with hygiene education to 16 rural schools in the five provinces of Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Jiangsu.
In China, the Xylem Watermark program began in 2009. During 2009-2010, the company invested $200,000 to build clean water and sanitation projects as well as to provide hygiene education for eight impoverished schools in Jiangsu, Yunnan and Hebei provinces. This provided 3,000 students and teachers access to safe drinking water. These projects not only improved the water supply and sanitation conditions for the local schools but also helped students cultivate hygienic habits. In 2010-2011, the Xylem Watermark program expanded coverage by constructing clean water and sanitation projects for 10 remote schools in the provinces of Hebei, Inner Mongolia and Yunnan.
"On this very special day of March 22, people of the world are united and taking actions to raise the awareness of the looming global water crisis," said Lu Shuping, Vice President Xylem (China) Co. Ltd and director of its China business. "We must remember that millions of people still don't have access to clean water and inadequate sanitation. It is our privilege that Xylem and its employees are able to leave footprints in the global effort to meet people's water needs and to impact the world in solving water."
Xylem is the world largest provider of water transport and wastewater treatment solutions. Social responsibility and environment stewardship have long been part of its core values. Xylem China employees launched several activities earlier this month, all to raise awareness of water environmental protection. On March 17, Xylem employees in Beijing collaborated with Green Earth, an NGO in China, organized a walk tour along the Beichanghe River to survey the water systems around Beijing. Xylem's Shanghai office mobilized its employees and family members for a tree-planting day. Xylem employees in Shenyang, Nanjing and Wuxi joined the local governments' efforts to educate communities and schools about water. On March 22, Xylem is once again calling for donations among its employees. The contributions will go to China Women's Development Foundation for the school drinking water projects and will be matched by the company.
Xylem has now entered the third year of implementing Watermark program in China. By 2013, Xylem's investment in this non-profit program in China will reach $1.5 million, covering 50 impoverished rural schools.
About Xylem Inc.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.The name Xylem is derived from classical Greek and is the tissue that transports water in plants, highlighting the engineering efficiency of our water-centric business by linking it with the best water transportation of all -- that which occurs in nature. For more information, please visit us at www.xyleminc.com.About "Xylem Watermark" program
Xylem Watermark is Xylem's global corporate citizenship and social investment program. Its mission is to provide clean water, sanitation and hygiene education to schools and communities in the developing and emerging countries. Launched in 2008 at World Water Week in Stockholm by Xylem as a corporate citizenship program, Watermark began as a three-year, $3 million commitment, for improving safe drinking water and hygienic education in schools of developing countries. To date, Xylem through its Watermark program has built 1,500 water supply projects worldwide, improving the lives of more than 500,000 people. In September 2010, the company renewed its pledge to increase its investment to $10.5 million over three years (2011-2013) to serve one million more people around the world.To learn more about Xylem Watermark program, please visit xylemwatermark.com.
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