Press Releases 2008

“SHOWCASE U.S.”
AMERICAN CONSULATE PRESENTS FIRST EVENT ON WATER, JUNE 19

June 19, 2008

Kolkata -- The U.S. Commercial Service of the American Consulate General in Kolkata, in partnership with the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, organized the first ever “Showcase U.S.” event on water on June 19.  Five U.S. companies - Dow Water Solutions, Nalco, Sontek/YSI, CertainTeed Corporation and Clearbrook Water Filters – made their presentations in an interactive session before a select audience. The areas for prospective business ventures that were highlighted included water treatment technologies by Dow, water treatment chemicals and equipment by Nalco, instrumentation by Sontek/YSI, specialty pipelines by Certainteed, and portable water filters by Clearbrook. U.S. Consul General Henry V. Jardine delivered the welcome remarks at the program held at the Bengal Club.

Water is a critical resource for industries, and clean water is a prerequisite for a healthy population. India’s limited water resources are depleting rapidly while at the same time the demands on them are increasing.  Projections show that India could be a water scarce country by 2025 when its per capita water availability could fall below the international benchmark of 1700 cubic meters per person per year.

The American market for water treatment technologies has developed since the 1970s in compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act.  The water reuse and recycling systems market, dominated by membrane filtration technologies, is estimated at nearly $700 million.  Individual American states have collectively invested nearly $9.5 billion in drinking water improvements since 1996.  The market for advanced drinking water technologies is currently around $1.5 billion, and experts believe it could grow to more than $2.1 billion by 2011.