PLEASANTON, Calif.—CooperVision’s water sustainability efforts have earned its Juana Diaz production and packaging facility in Puerto Rico the top honors from the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) for the fourth consecutive year, according to an announcement late last week. The PRASA Pre-Treatment Excellence Compliance Award recognized the company’s adherence to operating permit conditions, made possible by ongoing investment in the site’s infrastructure and training. Juana Diaz manufactures a range of CooperVision brands that are shipped worldwide, including popular Biofinity silicone hydrogel contact lenses. Since 2015, the site has reduced its water consumption by 35 percent, significantly cutting the volume of water placed into the treatment system and lowering energy use.

Improvements have included additional production monitoring, reuse of water used in some processes, and overall decreased reliance on manufacturing-related water, according to the company’s announcement.

“Like the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority, we have a special appreciation for the natural resources available to us on the island,” Rolando Torres, senior vice president, America manufacturing operations, at CooperVision, said in the announcement. “Our water conservation efforts are important every day, and become even more important during times of crisis, whether the 2015 drought or the more recent recovery from Hurricane Maria in our local communities.”

According to the announcement, the Juana Diaz plant’s enthusiasm for environmental stewardship “extends beyond its walls.” Indeed, a group of CooperVision employees recently participated in the International Coastal Cleanup project, removing debris along the Tablado Pastillo shoreline in Juana Diaz. In addition to reducing mosquito breeding that is associated with accumulated solid waste, data on each pollutant was logged before being transported for possible recycling.

CooperVision, a unit of The Cooper Companies Inc. (NYSE:COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses.