New Filter for the Future Program Helps Schools Nationwide Filter Out a Reliance on Bottled Water.
OAKLAND, Calif., March 30, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The range and rigor of standardized tests taking place in schools across the country may surprise some. While students are being put through the paces on fundamentals like reading, writing and math, school officials are conducting water-quality tests to ensure aging pipes and compromised water supply don’t affect their students’ well-being.
In some cases, tests are discovering lead and other contaminants, and in order to provide clean and safe drinking water, schools are turning to bottled water as a quick but unsustainable fix for students.
In response, Brita and Stephen Curry are stepping up to help provide safe and sustainable long-term solutions to schools in need. To ensure the choice for schools today doesn’t become an environmental and financial problem for schools tomorrow, Brita is launching the Filter for the Future program in collaboration with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which pledges $1 from the sale of any Longlast™ filter or product to provide schools across the country with Brita Hydration Stations - water filtering stations that reduce lead1 and other contaminants from drinking water. One Brita Hydration Station filter can replace 18,000 standard 16.9 ounce water bottles.
“As an athlete who believes water is the best beverage, and as a parent who is interested in making sure our schools and our planet have the best possible resources for the future, I am proud to partner with Brita and hope to start a ripple effect of support,” said Stephen Curry, Brita spokesperson. “The good news is contaminants aren’t an epidemic, but any trace can be a problem and we want to make sure that bottled water doesn’t become a drain on school resources.”
“At Brita, we are creating products like our Longlast™ filter to make it easier for people to filter out the excuses when reaching for water. But we know it’s even harder for schools to make choices when they are facing a contaminant issue. We created this program to make it easier for schools to provide water that supports kids’ health today, while offering a sustainable solution,” said Tad Kittredge, Director of Marketing, Brita. “But we can make a greater impact with the help of others. By simply reaching for a filter on the shelves, and a pitcher from the refrigerator people can be part of this solution. We will do the heavy lifting from there.”
The Oakland Unified School District is the first recipient of a Filter for the Future grant. Lead was identified in the water in Oakland schools in August 2017 and since then the OUSD has replaced impacted fixtures and faucets throughout their district, while keeping their commitment to reducing bottled water waste. The Brita donation has placed 12 hydration stations in schools throughout the city.
Keeping Schools Bottle Water Free
- Since January 2015, more than 100 school districts have dealt with drinking water contamination issues, including finding elevated levels of lead in water fountains.
- Currently eight states are requiring testing, another nine are testing voluntarily and five states have pending legislation. When elevated levels of lead are detected, schools must act quickly, taking the fixture out of service and finding a viable alternative. Faced with aging fixtures and old pipes, some districts resort to providing bottled water for their students, even in the face of growing costs for the school and mounting issues with the environmental impact of bottled water.
Making Decisions for Today and Tomorrow
- 2,000 plastic water bottles are used every second.
- By 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean.2
Meeting the Need
- Brita Longlast™ -- a new filter that is certified to reduce lead3 from tap water. One filter is certified for up to 120 gallons of water, roughly equivalent to six months of use from an average family that drinks 11 glasses per day.
- For every Brita Longlast™ replacement filter or Brita System with Longlast™ purchased between March 25 and June 16, 2018, Brita will donate $1 to schools (with minimum commitment of $50,000 and up to $500,000) to help them purchase water filtration stations.
- In collaboration with the Alliance for Healthier Generation, Brita will help identify schools in need and implement long-term water solutions. Interested schools can visit www.brita.com/filtered-life/ for details on how to apply for a Filter for the Future grant.
Brita® markets a variety of products, including water pitchers, faucet filters and bottles, that make it easy to get cleaner, great tasting water from any tap. Brita products are marketed by The Clorox Company (NYSE: CLX), a leading multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products with about 8,100 employees worldwide and fiscal year 2017 sales of $6 billion. NYSE: CLX
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation (Healthier Generation) empowers kids to develop lifelong healthy habits by ensuring the environments that surround them provide and promote good health. More than 25 million children have been helped by Healthier Generation’s work with schools, communities and businesses across the country. Learn more at HealthierGeneration.org.
1 Substances reduced may not be in all users’ water
2 “Estimation from World Economic Forum ‘The New Plastics Economy,’ based on current weight of global plastic waste in oceans and expected trends”
3 Substances reduced may not be in all users’ water
