Sloan, a manufacturer of commercial plumbing systems, has earned verification to The Water Council’s WAVE program, according to a press release from The Water Council.
Independently awarded by SCS Global Services, a sustainability verification company, WAVE program verification indicates that a company has implemented best practices in improving water stewardship performance.
In 2022, Sloan was among the first companies to sign on to The Water Council’s WAVE program, an initiative designed to help companies improve, report, and verify their water stewardship progress. Kirk Allen, Sloan’s co-president and CEO, is a longtime member of The Water Council’s board of directors.
“Protecting our planet’s most precious resource is a fundamental responsibility of our business, and we take this obligation very seriously,” said Paul Sambanis, Sloan’s vice president of sustainability. “Sloan is proud to achieve certification for The Water Council’s WAVE program. It is an exciting opportunity to lead by example and proactively address water challenges with our peers.”
Sloan concentrates its water efforts on three key areas: designing innovative and water-efficient products, monitoring and conserving water in its operations, and promoting water stewardship with its stakeholders. One example of these efforts is through Sloan’s Foundry, where evaporative condenser cooling towers are installed to make use of recycled water, reclaiming approximately 18 million gallons of water each year.
Sloan’s WAVE verification certificate from SCS Global Services required the completion of a six-step process, which included:
- Promoting Sloan’s membership in The Water Council
- Performing an enterprise-wide review of current practices that impact how water is procured, used, and discharged from direct operations and/or used in the value chain
- Performing a watershed risk assessment of key sites under direct operational control and/or sites from which key inputs are sourced and services delivered
- Prioritizing sites where water-related risks are highest and can be mitigated through direct application of water stewardship practices; and/or prioritizing actions in the value chain
- Securing senior-level approval of an enterprise-wide statement on water stewardship
- Communicating an enterprise-wide action plan, resulting goals, and timeline for implementing water stewardship projects and/or practices at high-risk sites or within the value chain
“By following the six-step process above, Sloan has demonstrated that it is strategically prioritizing water-related action where it matters most,” said Matt Howard, The Water Council’s vice president of water stewardship. “We are excited to see Sloan take the next step in its water stewardship journey.”
Entering 2024, Sloan plans to build on its water stewardship and sustainability progress in the following ways:
- Improving on-site water measures by installing submeters in areas of high-water usage
- Ensuring all sites have up-to-date and proper documentation for environmental, water-related, and stormwater management systems
- Participating in the WASH4WORK Pledge as a commitment to implementing access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene at the workplace and across Sloan’s value chain
- Implementing water reuse policies to reduce water consumption on site
- Participating in activities and working with local stakeholders to preserve and improve local water quality
- Highlighting water reuse and other practices on its website and other public platforms
