Neptune Launches ShedtheLead.com to Educate Industry on Revised Lead Free Regulatory Standards and Legislation
TALLASSEE, ALABAMA – [June 8, 2011] – As of June 8, Neptune Technology Group Inc. has launched a website, www.shedthelead.com, designed to provide resources for water utilities and others in the industry about current and upcoming revisions to lead free standards and regulation.
The website will provide easy-to-understand information on a complex subject – the changing NSF/ANSI standards for lead in drinking water system components. NSF/ANSI Standard 61 for leached lead performance, already law in 46 states, will become stricter in July 2012. Another standard, NSF/ANSI Standard 372 for weighted average lead content, will become federal law when changes to the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) take effect in January 2014.
Those manufacturers that currently use lead in their water meters (and other pipes and fittings) have a limited time to change their processes to comply with the new requirements. ShedtheLead.com was created to clear up confusion on the standards and aid those in the industry who need to achieve compliance.
In addition to concise explanations on the revised standards and legislation, the website also features information graphics and illustrations, FAQs, news, and other resources for the visitor.
"This is a pivotal time in our industry," said Neptune President Charles C. DiLaura. "Having met the future performance and content standards years ago, we wanted to help others through ShedtheLead.com. It will give water utilities the knowledge they need about the revised NSF/ANSI lead free standards as well as the details of the new SDWA law, all in a user-friendly format."
Mr. DiLaura stated that Neptune is uniquely qualified to provide comprehensive resources on lead free requirements: "In 2001, after weighing all the social and environmental benefits, we made a significant investment to switch to lead free bronze alloy to manufacture our water meters, believing it the prudent thing to do; the current regulatory environment has validated our position."
While much of the water meter industry has used a bronze alloy containing seven percent lead – and defined as "81 brass" by the Copper Development Association – Neptune has used only lead free bronze in its water meters since 2001. And unlike many meters made from plastic or composite materials, Neptune's lead free bronze alloy meters have a decade of tested performance in the field.
"Those in the water industry must make needed changes in their operations now", said Neptune Mechanical Engineering Manager Tom Crawford. "With ShedtheLead.com, we're giving them a valuable tool to help them be better prepared before the revisions become law."
Neptune Technology Group Inc. is a pioneer in the development of Automatic Meter Reading (AMR) systems with over nine million radio frequency meter reading devices installed in the United States in approximately 2,500 different water utilities and offers a full line of industry-leading NSF/ANSI compliant lead free metering products to water utilities throughout North America. Since 1892 Neptune has continually focused on the evolving needs of utilities – revenue optimization, operational efficiencies, and improved customer service. For more information on Neptune Technology Group, please visit the company website at www.neptunetg.com. Neptune operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Roper Industries, which is a Standard and Poor's S&P 500 index company and trades on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: ROP).