Corporate Accountability International: On World Water Day, Stimulus Flows to Public Water

Corporate Accountability International: On World Water Day, Stimulus Flows to Public Water States Still Face Shortfalls, Spend on Bottled Water

BOSTON, March 19 2009 -- Since being designated by the United Nations in 1992, World Water Day has been anything but a Hallmark holiday. Devoted to raising awareness and spurring action around the global water crisis, the holiday has been a flashpoint for protest over water privatization.

This year has been no different. During the corporate-driven World Water Forum in Istanbul, hundreds have taken to the streets to protest corporate water grabs and World Bank water lending policies.

"Too many people are going thirsty and suffering from the manifold downsides of corporate control of water -- water takings, water shut-offs, price hikes, short cuts on water treatment -- for us to pass this holiday without sounding an alarm," said Mark Hays, Corporate Accountability International spokesperson. "Those who are going thirsty don't have a voice in the halls where the global water agenda is being set and a handful of corporations would prefer it remains that way."

Corporate Accountability International and its allies are calling on the United Nations to take the lead in creating a transparent, democratic space to decide international water policy. Absent UN leadership, private interests that stand to profit from scarcity are filling the void in the form of the World Water Forum and other closed-door convenings.
The United Nations has, on the one hand, promoted World Water Day and the basic human right to water, but housed programs that provide water corporations official cover for a range of abuses, such as the CEO Water Mandate. This week 118 organizations and 33 countries called on Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to withdraw support from the Mandate.

In the U.S., a series of events are being organized to spotlight the impact of new stimulus dollars in repairing aging water systems and putting people to work; hundreds of thousands are expected to be employed. At these events, Corporate Accountability International is also calling attention to the spending gap that remains and continued state spending on bottled water. The stimulus package designated $6 billion to public water systems, though we face a $22 billion annual spending gap.

"As state budgets feel the pinch, states should not be spending taxpayer dollars on wasteful products like bottled water," said Gigi Kellett, national director of the Think Outside the Bottle campaign. "Given the important role of states in protecting and funding public water systems, canceling contracts also sends the message 'we have faith in our public tap water.'"
Over the coming week, World Water Day events are planned in St. Paul, Seattle, Albuquerque, Boston, and Montpelier. For more information on local events, developments at the World Water Forum, the national Think Outside the Bottle campaign, or World Water Day visit www.StopCorporateAbuse.org.

SOURCE Corporate Accountability International


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"Greening" Government: IBM Consulting Offering Helps Public Officials Reduce Energy and Water Use, Waste, Environmental Impact

"Greening" Government: IBM Consulting Offering Helps Public Officials Reduce Energy and Water Use, Waste, Environmental Impact

WASHINGTON, DC and ARMONK, NY - IBM (NYSE: IBM) has introduced the first consulting service designed to help government organizations analyze energy and water use, assess waste management, evaluate overall environmental impact and develop improvement strategies.

The IBM Public Sector Energy and Environment Diagnostic can help governments better understand their overall performance on environmental issues, identify improvements that can increase energy efficiency, reduce environmental impact including greenhouse gas emissions, and help ensure public institutions meet their own rising environmental standards.

IBM developed the diagnostic to help U.S. federal agencies comply with current requirements for broad improvements in efficiency and economy for all environmental, energy and transportation management operations. However, it can be adapted to any future requirements for U.S. government agencies or for use with any other federal, state or municipal government in any country.

"Citizens everywhere are demanding that governments improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact, and public officials at every level are responding by raising standards for how they operate," said Eric Riddleberger, IBM's business strategy consulting global leader, who heads up the company's corporate social responsibility consulting efforts. "Using a comprehensive approach that employs new, smart processes and tools to assess current performance and develop improvements can help public agencies meet those standards while maintaining proper levels of public service."

The IBM Public Sector Energy and Environment Diagnostic offering uses a proprietary Heat Map tool to provide an initial analysis. Based on IBM's Component Business Model approach, the tool breaks organizations down into logical segments -- finance, operations, procurement, etc. -- and then provides an analysis as to how well they are performing in terms of efficiency, cost and environmental impact.

Areas for potential environmental improvement are color coded -- red for "most critical," yellow for "moderately critical," and green for "performing within guidelines" -- to help government institutions prioritize where to make changes. From there, IBM can assist government agencies in developing a comprehensive strategy for prioritizing and implementing those changes, accounting for the cost and benefit of each solution.

Specific areas addressed in the diagnostic are:
Environmental management systems -- identifying leadership, establishing targets, tracking performance and communicating with stakeholders; Energy and greenhouse gases -- addressing efficiency and use of renewable sources; Water management -- reducing consumption and improving quality; Waste and disposal -- waste prevention, recycling, environmentally responsible disposal, and reducing the use of potentially toxic and hazardous chemicals; Facilities and equipment -- sustainable practices in motor fleets and renovation and construction operations; Workforce programs -- establishing workforce sustainability programs, training, benefits, and awards for environmental sustainability leadership. The Public Sector Energy and Environment Diagnostic joins a growing portfolio of consulting offerings from IBM designed to help clients address CSR issues throughout their operations, including: the CSR Assessment and Benchmarking Utility, the Carbon Tradeoff Modeler, Green Sigma™, Environmental Product Lifecycle Management, the Supply Chain Network Optimization Workbench (or SNOW), and Strategic Carbon Management.

The public sector diagnostic is designed to be used together with many of these other offerings. For example, after completing an analysis and identifying areas for improvement with the public sector diagnostic, clients can use Green Sigma™, which applies Lean Six Sigma principles to measuring and monitoring energy and water usage throughout a organization's operations, and the Carbon Trade-off Modeler, which helps evaluate and balance carbon dioxide emissions and energy usage with other key factors throughout a supply chain -- cost, service and quality.
These offerings use "smart" approaches, such as advanced business processes and monitoring dashboards, which allow clients to collect and analyze large amounts of data to make better decisions.

To learn more about IBM's strategy and change offerings, click here
For more information on IBM's energy and environmental offerings and products, go to: www.ibm.com/green
Contact(s) information Jay Cadmus IBM Media Relations 914-766-2326 203-948-2351 jcadmus@us.ibm.com Lia P. Davis IBM Media Relations 202-515-5499 202-285-5333 lia.p.davis@us.ibm.com



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BLUE GOLD: WORLD WATER WARS- “A must see film for every person on the planet.”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

“A must see film for every person on the planet.” - Greenmuze.com

“Sounds the same sweeping alarms as Inconvenient Truth, only about our dwindling water supplies.” - Toronto Star

BLUE GOLD:
WORLD WATER WARS

Sam Bozzo’s Critically-Acclaimed Documentary,
Narrated by Golden Globe® Nominee Malcolm McDowell,
Debuts on DVD April 7

Bonus Features Include Deleted Scenes and Filmmaker Interview


LOS ANGELES, CALIF. (March 6, 2008) – Blue Gold: World Water Wars, the award-winning documentary directed by Sam Bozzo, debuts on DVD April 7. Based on the acclaimed book by Maude Barlow and Tony Clark, the film examines the global conflicts past, present, and future, created by the privatization and commoditization of our fresh water supply. Blue Gold features insightful interviews with international experts, heroic citizens leading battles for their right to survive, and narration by Golden Globe® nominee Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, TV’s “Heroes”). Bonus features include deleted scenes and interviews with the filmmakers. Blue Gold: World Water Wars, which won the Audience Choice Award for Best Environmental Film at the Vancouver International Film Festival and Best Documentary at the Beloit International Film Festival, will be available for $24.99 SRP.

SYNOPSIS: In every corner of the globe, we are polluting, diverting, pumping, and wasting our limited supply of fresh water at an expediential level as population and technology grows, resulting in the desertification of the earth. Corporate giants profit by forcing developing countries to privatize their shrinking water supply. Wall Street investors target desalination and mass bulk water export schemes to turn a global catastrophe into a product. Corrupt governments use water for economic and political gain, military control of water emerges, and a new geopolitical map and power structure forms, setting the stage for world water wars. We follow numerous worldwide examples of people fighting for their basic right to water, from court cases to violent revolutions, from U.N. conventions to military take-overs, from local protests at grade schools to kidnappings and even murder. As Maude Barlow proclaims, “This is our revolution, this is our war”. A line is crossed as water becomes a commodity. Will we survive?

Blue Gold: World Water Wars will be released on DVD in conjunction with World Water Day (March 22) and Earth Day (April 22).

Based on the ground-breaking book by Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke, Blue Gold: World Water Wars was directed by Sam Bozzo, executive produced by Mark Achbar (The Corporation) and Si Litvinoff (The Man Who Fell to Earth), and narrated by Malcolm McDowell. Go to www.bluegold-worldwaterwars.com for more information.

BASICS
DVD: $24.99
Street Date: April 7, 2009
Order Date: March 3, 2009
Running Time: Approximately 90 minutes
Genre: Documentary
Rating: Not Rated
Language: English
Studio: PBS Distribution
Catalog #: BGWW601
UPC Code: 841887010214


Publicity Contacts:
mPRm Public Relations
Nahal Mogharabi, 323/933-3399 ext. 4273
nmogharabi@mprm.com



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Middlesex Water Company Reports 2008 Financial Results- Annual Revenues up $4.9 Million From 2007

Middlesex Water Company Reports 2008 Financial Results- Annual Revenues up $4.9 Million From 2007

ISELIN, NJ----Mar 12, 2009 -- Middlesex Water Company (NasdaqGS:MSEX ) a provider of water, wastewater and related services in New Jersey and Delaware, today announced operating revenue of $91.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2008, compared to operating revenue of $86.1 million in 2007. Net income for the year ended December 31, 2008 was $12.2 million, up from $11.8 million for the same period in 2007. Earnings applicable to common stock for the year ended December 31, 2008, were $12.0 million, or $0.90 per basic share, compared with $11.6 million, or $0.88 per basic share, in 2007. On a fully diluted basis, earnings per share were $0.89 for 2008, compared to $0.87 per share in 2007.

Middlesex Water President and Chief Executive Officer Dennis W. Doll said, "Despite the deepening uncertainties and volatility in the marketplace, we were able to achieve moderate growth in revenues, customers and earnings per share in 2008. Revenues in our Middlesex system increased as a result of rate relief implemented in late 2007. We realized improved water sales in our Delaware system, Tidewater Utilities, Inc. and our regulated wastewater operations in Delaware contributed to increased revenues due to customer growth. Although we are seeing some impact from our nation's economic challenges on the business in the form of moderately reduced water consumption for industrial, commercial and residential purposes, we remain focused on maintaining operational integrity and continuing to improve service to customers through investments in infrastructure and technology. Our mature regulatory model, reasonably predictable revenue stream and stable customer base are all elements of stability in an otherwise unstable economic environment," he added.


2008 Operating Results
Consolidated operating revenues rose $4.9 million, or 5.7% over the same period in 2007. Revenues in our Middlesex system increased by $4.2 million as result of a 9.1% base rate increase implemented in October 2007. Middlesex revenues decreased $1.1 million due to lower consumption by our customers during 2008. In Delaware, water sales improved by $0.8 million. We realized additional revenue of $1.2 million as a result of an additional 12% base rate increase granted to Tidewater in February 2007 and additional Distribution System Improvement Charge increases approved in January and July 2008. Revenues from regulated wastewater operations increased $0.2 million due to customer growth.
Fees charged for initial connection to our DE water system were $0.4 million lower in 2008. This is attributed to a slowing of new residential and commercial development in our Delaware service territories. Fees for managing the City of Perth Amboy water and wastewater systems were $0.5 million higher than the same period in 2007, due mostly to scheduled fixed fee increases inherent in the contract. Revenues from regulated wastewater operations in DE increased $0.2 million due to customer growth.
Total operations and maintenance expenses for the year ended December 31, 2008 increased $2.7 million, or 5.8%, from 2007 largely due to labor and benefits costs, which increased $1.3 million. Water production costs were $0.3 million higher in 2008, over 2007. The cost to operate wastewater facilities in Delaware increased by $0.3 million as a result of an increased number of wastewater treatment facilities in operation in Delaware. Costs for service claims under our water and sewer line maintenance program were $0.1 million higher due in part to a 9.4% increase in the number of subscribers in the program during 2008.
Depreciation expense for 2008 rose by $0.4 million or 5.1% due to a higher level of utility plant in service. Other taxes increased by $0.5 million generally reflecting additional taxes on higher taxable gross revenues, payroll and real estate.
Fourth Quarter 2008
For the three month period ended December 31, 2008, operating revenues increased to $21.5 million, up from $21.2 million, for the same period in 2007. This increase was largely due to rate relief, customer growth and increased water consumption in our Delaware system. Total operating expenses increased to $17.0 million, up from $16.3 million for the same period in 2007.
Net income decreased to $1.9 million, down from $2.6 million, in 2007. The decrease of $0.7 million was primarily due to the sale of certain water service rights in Delaware in 2007, that were not expected to recur in 2008, and increased labor and benefits costs including a reduction in the cash surrender value of life insurance policies due to financial market conditions.
Company Quarterly Dividend
Middlesex Water paid a quarterly dividend of $0.1775 per share on the Common Stock on March 2, 2009, to stockholders of record as of February 13, 2009. The Company has paid cash dividends in varying amounts continually since 1912.
About Middlesex Water Company
Middlesex Water Company, organized in 1897, is a water utility serving customers in central and southern New Jersey and in the State of Delaware. The Company and its New Jersey subsidiaries -- Pinelands Water Company and Pinelands Wastewater Company -- are subject to the regulations of the Board of Public Utilities of the State of New Jersey. Middlesex Water Company operates the water and wastewater utilities for the City of Perth Amboy through its subsidiary, Utility Service Affiliates (Perth Amboy) Inc. Middlesex Water also provides contract operations services and a service line maintenance program through its non-regulated subsidiary, Utility Service Affiliates, Inc. The Company's regulated Delaware subsidiaries, Tidewater Utilities, Inc., together with Southern Shores Water Company and Tidewater Environmental Services Inc., are subject to the regulations of the Public Service Commission in Delaware. White Marsh Environmental Systems, Inc. operates small water and wastewater systems under contract on a non-regulated basis in Delaware. These companies are also subject to various Federal and State regulatory agencies concerning water, and wastewater effluent, quality standards.

For additional information regarding Middlesex Water Company, visit the Company's web site at http://www.middlesexwater.com/ or call (732) 634-1500.
This release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, among others, our long-term strategy and expectations, the status of our acquisition program, the impact of our acquisitions, the impact of current and projected rate requests and the impact of our capital program on our environmental compliance. There are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements including: general economic business conditions, unfavorable weather conditions, the success of certain cost containment initiatives, changes in regulations or regulatory treatment, availability and the cost of capital, the success of growth initiatives and other factors discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.


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No Changes to Janney Global Water Index (TICKER: JGI) in Quarterly Rebalancing

No Changes to Janney Global Water Index in Quarterly Rebalancing

NEW YORK March 11 --The Janney Global Water IndexSM (TICKER: JGI) will have no constituent changes in its quarterly rebalancing, effective 09:00 AM (ET) Monday, March 23, 2009.

A complete list of constituents and weights will be posted on the Janney index family web site, (http://janney.snetglobalindexes.com/about_the_indexes.php).


The Janney Global Water IndexSM is a capitalization-weighted, float-adjusted index of the most prominent water stocks in the world. To be included in the JGI index, stocks must pass multiple screens, including for capitalization, float, exchange listing, share price and turnover.
Detailed information, including constituent data, rules and price information, on the Janney family of global water indexes is available at www.janneywaterindexes.com. Data is also available through most vendors of financial data.


Index: Janney Global Water IndexSM
TICKER: JGI
Index: Janney Water WorksSM
TICKER: JWW
Index: Janney Water TechSM
TICKER: JWT


Contacts Janney Montgomery Scott, LLCDebra Coy, 202-955-4315orJ-Net Global Indexes, LLCJoseph LaCorte, 646-467-7927www.janneywaterindexes.com



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ITT Publishes White Paper on Water, Energy Initiatives in Stimulus Package

ITT Publishes White Paper on Water, Energy Initiatives in Stimulus Package

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.--March 9 2009 --ITT Corporation (NYSE: ITT), the leading provider of pumps and systems to move and treat water and wastewater, has published a new white paper titled: The Most Important Things You Need to Know about the Stimulus Package.

On February 17, 2009 President Barack Obama signed into law The American Economic Recovery and Investment Act to stimulate the economy through an injection of $787 billion in federal spending, including $60 billion to support traditional and “green technology” environmental infrastructure projects. This includes shovel-ready projects to improve water and wastewater infrastructure, as well as energy-saving initiatives.

ITT has extensive engineering expertise and innovative technology that has been instrumental to the creation and success of energy-efficient clean water and wastewater projects around the globe, as well as equipment to make homes and commercial buildings more energy-efficient. ITT’s white paper can be downloaded at www.itt.com/now

“Communities around the country, from major metropolitan cities to rural small towns, are now working to secure funds to launch much-needed infrastructure projects, such as drinking water and wastewater projects,” said Colin Sabol, vice president of business development for ITT’s Fluid Technology business. “ITT has extensive experience with the planning and creation of such projects, and measuring how project success produces benefits to the health and economy of a community.”

The goal of this white paper is to provide consulting engineers, as well as state and local municipal boards, with the straightforward information and practical advice they need to embark on shovel-ready projects. Some of this information includes:

A list of the key federal agencies involved in environmental infrastructure program implementation and project assistance; Guidance about the resources available to help plan projects and deal with the expedited project approvals timeframe to ensure critical deadlines – the application of funds, submission of project proposals and construction start-dates – are met; and, An overview of a variety of the products available to be used in the construction and successful completion of environmental infrastructure projects. About ITT Corporation

ITT Corporation is a high-technology engineering and manufacturing company operating on all seven continents in three vital markets: water and fluids management, global defense and security, and motion and flow control. With a heritage of innovation, ITT partners with its customers to deliver extraordinary solutions that crate more livable environments, provide protection and safety and connect our world. Headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., the company generated 2008 sales of $11.7 billion. www.itt.com



Contacts ITT CorporationTom Glover, +1-914-319-3451tom.glover@itt.com



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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Joins Board of Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies Inc.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Joins Board of Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies Inc.


VANCOUVER, BC –Ostara Nutrient RecoveryTechnologies Inc., developer and marketer of proprietary technologiesthat recover polluting nutrients from wastewater and recycle them intoenvironmentally-friendly high-value fertilizer, announced that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has been elected to the Company’s board ofdirectors.

Kennedy is a prominent environmental advocate and a VenturePartner at VantagePoint Ventures Partners, a leading investor in 21stcentury technologies based in Silicon Valley, California.

VantagePointhas been a significant Ostara shareholder since 2008.Phillip Abrary, President and CEO of Ostara, said the Company will benefit fromKennedy’s insights and experiences as an expert in balancing protection of theenvironment with sustainable recreation and development.“Bobby is a recognized expert on water management and an active environmentalist. Heis passionate about sustainability and keeping waterways clean for future generations —and we believe he will bring a unique and valuable perspective to our Board,” saidAbrary.

Kennedy said he has been impressed with Ostara’s technology and its potential to helpmunicipal wastewater systems increase the efficiency of their operations while reducingtheir environmental impact on waterways and the water table.“I remain deeply concerned about the resource challenges we will face in our futures,and believe that by serving on Ostara’s board I will gain an opportunity to both advocatefor environmental stewardship and help Ostara with its water treatment and resourcerecovery solutions,” said Kennedy.About Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.Kennedy is a Clinical Professor and Supervising Attorney at Pace University School ofLaw’s Environmental Litigation Clinic. Kennedy also serves as President of WaterkeeperAlliance, Chief Prosecuting Attorney for the Hudson Riverkeeper, and Senior Attorneyfor the Natural Resources Defence Council.

He was named one of Time magazine’s“Heroes for the Planet.” He is a graduate of Harvard University, University of VirginiaLaw School, as well as Pace University School of Law, where he received a MastersDegree in Environmental Law. (www.robertfkennedyjr.com)

About VantagePoint Venture PartnersVantagePoint Venture Partners is a leader in investing in 21st Century technologies andpartners with entrepreneurs in the CleanTech, Healthcare and Information Technologysectors. With a large investment team of experts, a broad network of strategic partnersand advisors, and more than $4.5 billion in committed capital, the Firm has the depth ofresources to help build transformative companies that are clear leaders in theircategories. The Silicon Valley firm has investments in more than 70 companies. Formore information visit www.vpvp.com.


About OstaraOstara Nutrient Recovery Technologies Inc., founded in 2005, is a Vancouver-basedcompany commercializing proprietary technologies that recover resources fromwastewater and recycle them into valuable products. Ostara's struvite recovery process,developed at the University of British Columbia (UBC), recovers pollutants that wouldotherwise be released into the environment, helps wastewater treatment plants reduceoperating costs and meet environmental regulations, and provides municipalities andutilities with revenue from the sale of the recovered pollutants that are recycled intoenvironmentally safe slow-release fertilizer, Crystal Green®.


For more information: visitwww.ostara.com and www.crystalgreen.com.


Contact: Michelle Tiang 25 Feb 2009Corporate Marketing Manager



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