PR1863

9th June 2008

Bushey school learns to wash without waste

Waterwise pupils from St Margaret’s School, Bushey have beaten more than 20 other South East and Home County infant schools to win the Bathroom Manufacturers Association’s (BMA) How To Wash competition.

The BMA teamed up with local water company Three Valleys Water as part of its ongoing water efficiency campaigns to teach young children about the importance of maintaining hygiene while using water wisely in the bathroom.

As part of the campaign, the BMA and Three Valleys Water ran a colouring competition with a prize for the winning class.

The proud class of 6 year olds from St Margaret’s school has won garden equipment for the school to create a water efficient garden area the whole school can enjoy. The children also received tokens to purchase a book of their choice.

BMA Chief Executive Yvonne Orgill says: “It was a tough competition to judge as the number and standard of entries was so high, which is very pleasing.

“Primary school children across the most water stressed areas of the UK now understand the importance of maintaining hygiene without wasting water. Now they will no doubt pass the message on to their parents!

Being water efficient is not about restricting use, but reducing waste. That’s what we wanted to teach them. We believe it’s important to work with primary schools, as by encouraging good behaviour at an early age can make a real difference to the way we use and regard water for life.”

Yvonne Orgill, Chief Executive, BMA and Samuel Jacobs, one of the Three Valleys Water Production Team from the nearby Clay Lane Water Treatment Works presented the wheelbarrows, garden tools, pots, plants, seeds and book tokens to St Margaret’s on Friday 6 June 2008.

Photocaption: Yvonne Orgill, Chief Executive, BMA with Samuel Jacobs, Production Operative, Three Valleys Water and pupils from St Margaret’s School, Bushey.

For further information on the BMA please telephone 01782 747123 and visit www.bathroom-association.org or for Three Valleys Water contact Sue Pavey, on 01707 277110.

Ends

For further information please contact Public Relations, tel: 01707 277110, fax: 01707 277213, website: www.3valleys.co.uk

Note to Editors:

1. The Bathroom Manufacturers Association is the trade association for bathroom manufacturers operating in the UK. Its authority is underlined by a membership that represents more than 87 per cent of the mainstream bathroom business undertaken within the UK. The BMA is involved in all aspects of the bathroom industry and its activity in 2008 will focus on Water Efficiency, Special Needs and Training, Education & Qualifications. For information on all BMA activities visit: www.bathroom-association.org

2. In 2007 the BMA launched the Water Efficient Product Labelling Scheme. More than 300 products are currently registered on the scheme, which offers the consumer and industry stakeholders an informed choice. For further information visit www.water-efficiencylabel.org.uk

3.Three Valleys Water has been supplying water for more than 130 years and is committed to delivering a high quality water service to all its customers. It now provides over 870 million litres of water each day to three million customers, in parts of Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Surrey, the London Boroughs of Harrow and Hillingdon and parts of the London Boroughs of Barnet, Brent, Ealing, and Enfield. The supply area covers a total of 3,700 square kilometres, stretching from Luton and Royston in the north to Guildford in the south, and from Berkhamsted in the west to Dunmow in the east. For further information visit www.3valleys.co.uk and for press enquiries call 01707 277110.

4.The National Home Improvement Council (NHIC) represents the most important body of companies and organisations that work in the home improvement sector and they earnestly believe in higher standards of materials and workmanship, backed up with codes of practice, guarantees and warranties. For further information visit www.nhic.org.uk

5. Founded in 1749 St Margaret 's Bushey is one of the oldest girls ' schools in the country. An Anglican foundation, it has always combined the best of its traditions with a forward-looking approach in order to deliver a first class education. The school has infant, preparatory, lower, senior and sixth form pupils. For further information visit www.stmargaretsbushey.co.uk