Saving Water Pays off for Hillside School & UNICEF

When Hillside School decided to work with UNICEF in March to help deliver clean water to impoverished areas, bluewater was so impressed that they decided to donate a dollar for every pipe that they lay this season. On Wednesday, the company came to Hillside to present their check.

"We were so inspired by what you were doing and how you were trying to think about dealing with the problems with water," said bluewater Chairman Dr. James L.J. Nuzzo. "Water is an incredibly precious resource."

In March, students in George Goneconto's second grade class and Amy Cicala's fourth grade class got together to study current problems facing drinking water, urging Needham businesses to help them raise money for UNICEF. Soon after, bluewater, a Needham company that specializes in septic, drain cleaning, system repair and rehabilitation technologies, got involved and, on Wednesday afternoon, came to Hillside.

"We spend our time trying to make certain that the water that's around is clean," Nuzzo told Hillside students. "We work with companies and individuals and everyone that we can in order to help them preserve water."

Like bluewater, UNICEF is working with groups to provide clean water and their "Tap Project" will benefit from bluewater's check of $404, which was presented to Hillside.

To show their appreciation of the donation, Hillside students sang their "Water Song," took part in a drum circle and presented ways that people can save the earth's water.

Following the demonstration Nuzzo and Tom Champion, vice president of marketing with bluewater, presented their check to much applause from those gathered in the room. Champion also explained to students how cycling water is important and how his company is helping to improve old water pipes throughout the area.

Champion told Needham Patch after the presentation that he was impressed with the dedication to and knowledge of water related issues found in the Hillside students.

"These kids are doing a very important thing right now and we're trying to meeting their challenge," he said.

Champion added that there is a lack of education throughout the country in regard to water conservation, but that Hillside is bucking that trend.

"Seeing this level of interest from the kids is very inspirational," he said. "It's a slow-motion challenge in our society to build education on this issue. People don't know what can be done to save our water, but when they find out they're really