ITT Corp. has announced a new corporate philanthropy program, ITT Watermark, which includes an initial three-year, $3 million commitment to help provide safe water, sanitation and hygiene education to 300 schools in the developing world – a pledge that will ultimately improve the lives of more than 100,000 children and their families.  ITT, a global leader in the transport and treatment of water, will work through its strategic partner, Water For People, a non-profit international development organization, to improve water and sanitation conditions in schools in Latin America and Asia. The project recently was unveiled at World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden. 

Working with Water For People, ITT will provide support to enable the development of new local infrastructure to bring water and sanitation to remote schools, provide resources to repair existing systems, and assist in the creation of innovative hygiene education initiatives. During the balance of 2008, ITT will support 50 schools in Latin America and Asia, including schools in West Bengal, India; Quiche, Guatemala; and Yoro, Honduras. ITT will extend its support to an additional 100 schools in 2009, and another 150 schools in 2010.

“In establishing a corporate philanthropy program, we set out to harness our talented and caring employees, technological capabilities, and financial resources in a way that would make a difference in the lives of the next generation in a sustainable way,” says Steve Loranger, chairman, president and chief executive officer, ITT. “ITT Watermark does precisely that.  Through this unique initiative, we are bringing ITT’s full range of assets together to create environments where children can learn and develop without fear of contracting devastating and preventable waterborne diseases.”

A Sustainable Approach

ITT and Water For People will deploy a sustainable model that creates local water committees in the communities where the schools are located. The committees will take ownership for the projects and maintain the facilities long after the infrastructure is built. In addition, ITT and Water For People will return to each school one year after implementation to monitor the safe water systems, and then again three years later to evaluate their success.  

“With ITT’s involvement, we are empowering local people to build and maintain their school’s own water and sanitation systems by providing skills, materials, labor and lots of motivation,” says Colleen Stiles, chief executive officer, Water For People. “In our experience, this partnership with communities is essential for building solutions that stand the test of time and lead to a successful result.  ITT shares our vision and has all the right tools – the water expertise, the products and most of all, the desire – to make a real and lasting difference.” 

Emergency Response Capability

Through ITT Watermark, ITT also has established an Emergency Response Committee responsible for the proactive and coordinated deployment of ITT resources directly to disaster sites during water-related emergencies. This component of the ITT Watermark program works to support communities in need with its products and knowledge to remove unwelcomed flood water, and to provide access to safe drinking water. 

For more information on ITT Watermark and its objectives, visit www.ittwatermark.com.