Amy Talbot accepting the WaterSense® Award.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today honored the Regional Water Authority (RWA) with the national 2016 WaterSense® Excellence in Education and Outreach Award for its outstanding efforts to educate Sacramento-area residents about water efficiency and the WaterSense brand.
RWA Water Efficiency Program Manager Amy Talbot accepted the award during a lunchtime event at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas.
“We are honored to receive such a prestigious award and to be promoting WaterSense in our outreach,” Talbot said. “WaterSense-labeled fixtures deliver savings each time they are used, making them a critical building block for sustaining long-term water efficiency in the Sacramento region and beyond.”
Since 2006, WaterSense-labeled products, including toilets, showerheads, faucets, dishwashers, irrigation controllers and more, have helped consumers save 1.5 trillion gallons of water, more than the amount of water used by all households in California for a year.
EPA recognized RWA for educating the public about water efficiency and the WaterSense brand at every possible opportunity, including outreach to residents through RWA’s Water School; program to install WaterSense products in disadvantaged communities; educating kids and adults through RWA’s creative and visual “Les Leaky” decorating contest and accompanying infographic published as a full-page advertisement in the Sacramento Bee; outreach to local governments and influential businesses during a sustainability program series; and other activities.
More than 1,700 utilities, manufacturers, retailers, builders, and organizations partner with WaterSense. Only a select few, however, are recognized each year for their significant program contributions.
“Over the past 10 years, communities, states, organizations, manufacturers, retailers and builders across the country have been working with WaterSense to help Americans save water for future generations,” said Joel Beauvais, EPA Office of Water Deputy Assistant Administrator. “I am pleased to see so many of our WaterSense partners making contributions to build the resilience of communities everywhere by helping people use water more efficiently.”
Many Sacramento-area water providers offer rebates for purchasing and installing WaterSense-labeled products at home and work. Learn more about rebates, and ways to use water efficiently, at BeWaterSmart.info.
About the Regional Water Authority: RWA is a joint powers authority representing two dozen water providers and affiliates in the greater Sacramento area. Its primary mission is to help its members protect and enhance the reliability, availability, affordability and quality of water resources.
About WaterSense: WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation’s water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, homes, and services. Since the program began in 2006, WaterSense has helped consumers save 1.5 trillion gallons of water and $32.6 billion in water and energy bills.
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