According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, water
efficiency is critical to growing the
U.S. economy and our quality of life. The
agency recently recognized Water Efficiency Leaders for their contributions in
reducing, reusing and recycling water through leadership, innovation and water
saved.
"Water
is America's
greatest liquid asset,” said
Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA’s
assistant administrator for water. “EPA commends these water champions for
saving water and energy, and increasing the health and wealth of communities
and ecosystems."
The leaders are made up of utilities,
individuals, corporations, non-governmental organizations and government.
This year’s
winners are:
Pinellas County Utilities
(Clearwater, Fla.) ― Pinellas County is one of the most water-efficient
utilities per capita at 89 gallons per person per day, versus the national
average of 100 gpd. Since 1991, per capita efficiency has improved more than 40
percent.
PepsiCo (Purchase, N.Y.) ― PepsiCo has
improved water efficiency across its brands and is on target to reduce water
consumption per unit of production by 20 percent by 2015.
Acequia
(Austin, Texas)
― Across the nearly 70 commercial properties for which it provides landscape
irrigation, Acequia has sustained measured reductions of irrigation water by 54
percent since 2002.
Commissioner Robert
J. Hunter (Atlanta,
Ga.) ― Under Commissioner
Hunter’s leadership during recent droughts, the city’s 50 largest water
customers cut their water consumption by 45 percent. Hunter also promoted water
saving options and high efficiency toilet rebate programs to users and
plumbers.
Homewise Inc. (Santa
Fe, N.M.) ― Homewise
is recognized for smartly mixing consumer information, on-site homeowner
installation assistance, marketing, and consumer lending into a unified program
to reduce homeowner water consumption. In 2005, Homewise initiated its Watersmart Program, which as
of May 2008 had helped 595 households reduce water use by an estimated 64
percent.
Orange County Water District (Orange
County, Calif.) ― Orange
County Water District is recognized for world leadership in wastewater
purification for groundwater replenishment. Its system of replenishing
groundwater can generate enough water to meet the needs of 500,000 people.
For more information about the Water
Efficiency Leaders, visit http://www.epa.gov/water/wel/.
