Consumers Win with Global Cooperation Agreement Between the USF C&C Group and UL.

Business Editors

NORTHBROOK, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 20, 2001

The USFilter Consumer & Commercial Group (USF C&C Group) recently signed a 5-year Global Cooperation Agreement with Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL). The agreement will allow the USF C&C Group to go through a combined certification process for a myriad of UL Marks, thus reducing costs and time, and increasing the efficiency of qualifying products through its in-house laboratory. Marks covered by the agreement include the traditional UL Mark, UL's Canadian C-UL Mark, UL's Environmental & Public Health (EPH) Mark, Water Quality Association's WQA Gold Seal and Europe's CE marking.

"This combined certification will potentially allow us to get our water treatment products to consumers faster," says the USF C&C Group's Vice President of Research and Development, Dr. Frank A. Brigano. "Also, consumers can be assured that products bearing the UL and WQA Marks have undergone rigorous testing and have been approved by organizations which are world-renowned."

As is true of other products, UL's Certification Marks appearing on water treatment equipment signify that these products meet all the applicable safety requirements, whether electrical, environmental and public health or quality-related, and include any necessary additional requirements such as food equipment hygiene. While the traditional UL Mark signifies compliance with U.S. safety requirements, the C-UL Mark specifically demonstrates compliance with applicable Canadian standards. Similarly, the CE marking denotes that the product complies with the applicable European Directive. UL's new EPH Mark on a product indicates compliance with applicable Environmental and Public Health standards.

Additionally, the WQA and UL recently signed an Agreement of Cooperation that permits the exchange of test data between the two organizations. The Water Quality Association, an independent third-party water industry trade association, has developed strict rating standards of its own. WQA's Gold Seal is awarded only to those water treatment systems that have met or exceeded industry standards for contaminant reduction performance, structural integrity, and materials safety. Manufacturers whose products bear the WQA Gold Seal have earned a reputation as producing quality water treatment products.

"One-stop delivery of comprehensive conformity coverage is a real win," says Donald A. Mader, UL's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer - Americas. "This is true not only for UL and the industry, but more importantly, for our customers and for the consumer."

Northbrook, Illinois-based Culligan, a part of the USF C&C Group, plans on listing two of its most recent softener lines, the Culligan Medallist Series(TM) and Culligan Gold Series(TM) softeners, under this program. The Culligan Gold Series softeners are scheduled to be available to consumers in Spring 2001.

Both the USF C&C Group and UL recognize the importance of quality, safety and consistency in products and services and are committed to providing consumers in the United States and around the world with safer and better products.

The USFilter Consumer & Commercial Group manufactures and distributes bottled water and water treatment products for retail, household, and commercial applications worldwide. A division of USFilter that is owned by global water treatment leader Vivendi S.A., the USF C&C Group includes Culligan, Northbrook, IL; Everpure, Westmont, IL; and USF-Plymouth Products, Sheboygan, WI. For more information about its products, the USF C&C Group invites you to visit its various websites at www.culligan.com, www.everpure.com, and www.plymouthwater.com.

Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) is an independent, not-for-profit organization that has evaluated products, materials and systems in the interest of public safety for more than 100 years. More than 18 billion UL Marks appear on products each year, and more than 18,000 types of products are tested at UL's five U.S. laboratories located in Northbrook, IL; Melville, NY; Santa Clara, CA; Research Triangle Park, NC; and Camas, WA. For more information on UL, visit UL's website at www.ul.com.