WESTFIELD, N.J., May 9, 2002 -- Thames Water Americas, together with its subsidiary, E'town Corp., has entered into an agreement with Unified Environmental Services Group, LLC of Edison, New Jersey in which the two companies will combine their expertise to offer biosolids recycling services to municipalities.
According to Barry Gerson CEO of Unified Environmental, "The Company was formed to develop a breakthrough technology that converts municipal biosolids at sterilization temperatures into an organically enhanced inorganic commodity fertilizer called Unity Fertilizer that exceeds all USEPA Class A and Exceptional Quality Standards for recycling biosolids."
Unified Environmental has been operating this new patented process at its facility in Helena, Arkansas, where it is processing New York City biosolids into Unity Fertilizer. The Unity Fertilizer has been well received by conventional fertilizer distributors who resell to large commercial farmers. Unified Environmental plans to establish a second manufacturing facility in Florida to be followed by others located strategically across the United States.
"The application of converting biosolids into an organically enhanced inorganic fertilizer product is one of the safest alternatives available to beneficially reuse wastewater material," explains Ed Clerico, technical development director of Thames Water Americas. "Unified Environmental has discovered a very safe and commercially acceptable means of taking organics and incorporating them into standard inorganic commodity fertilizers and thereby recycling biosolids into agriculture, where they belong."
As part of the agreement, Thames Water Americas will own a 30-percent share in Unified and occupy four positions on the company's Board of Directors. Thames Water Americas will also provide funds to further upgrade the Helen fertilizer plant, and build additional facilities throughout the country.
According to Clerico, "This is a significant advancement environmentally. Biosolids and organic waste are a problem everywhere, and sludge disposal represents about 30 percent of operating costs for wastewater plants. Unified Environmental's patented fertilizer technology provides a unique, cost-effective, and environmentally safe alternative that did not previously exist."
E'town Corporation, a subsidiary of Thames Water, is the parent company of AWM and Elizabethtown Water Company, a regulated water utility that provides retail water service in 54 municipalities in Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Morris, Somerset, and Union counties. Thames Water - the water business of RWE - has a presence in 44 countries and currently serves over 44 million people. Upon completion of the announced acquisition of American Water Works, the Group will become the largest provider of water services in the US, with over 60 million customers world wide.
Currently, Thames Water is also active in the Unites States through the following subsidiaries:
Ashbrook Corporation, based in Houston, Texas, is the industry leader in process optimization and advance-engineered process components. Ashbrook combines its specialized engineering, scientific, and technical teams with the global resources of Thames Water to meet all process challenges quickly and effectively.
FB Leopold Corporation, based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has long been a leader in the water and wastewater industry. Since its establishment in 1924, Leopold has pioneered and acquired a number of innovative technologies aimed to improving the quality of water.
Thames Water Puerto Rico, based near San Juan, ensures that the population of the north coast region now has access to a safe and reliable supply of water. Thames Water, in conjunction with the Dick Corporation, was awarded the $300 million contract to design, build and operate a new drinking water plant and trunk pipeline which provides water to portions of the capital, San Juan, which previously did not have access to clean, safe water.
