• Panel of environmental experts to award one of the five finalists $10,000 in recognition of their leadership, innovation and commitment to landscape water conservation
AZUSA, CA, Oct. 17, 2007 -- Rain Bird Corporation, a leading manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services, announced today the five finalists for its 2007 Intelligent Use of Water™ Award, a program created to showcase outstanding contributions by individuals and/or organizations towards the advancement of landscape water conservation. The five finalists were selected from a broad array of nominations that included entries from homeowners and do-it-yourself consumers to industry and non- industry professionals alike.
The recipient of this year's Intelligent Use of Water Award will be named in November and presented with $10,000 in acknowledgment of their contributions toward protecting Earth's most precious resource. The winning entry will also receive a trip to the 2008 Tournament of Roses parade and a spot as a featured panelist during Rain Bird's year-end Intelligent Use of Water Summit, held in Pasadena, California.
"Each of the five finalists has demonstrated a special commitment to the conservation of Earth's most precious resource through innovative water management practices resulting in improved water landscape conservation," said Dave Johnson, Rain Bird's Director of Corporate Marketing. "The innovation, leadership, ingenuity and overall commitment to better water management practices goes hand in hand with The Intelligent Use of Water and our company commitment to bringing greater knowledge and awareness of the need for more efficient water use in the landscape."
Selected by a panel of judges according to pre-determined criteria including demonstrated water savings, preservation of landscapes, innovation, and overall impact on community, this year's Intelligent Use of Water Award finalists are:
Doug Bennett -- Las Vegas, NV
Having led the conservation program for the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) since 2000, Bennett's many accomplishments include the appointment of a Green Industry Coordinator to collaborate with professionals in the irrigation, landscape and golf industries. Under his leadership, the SNWA has initiated the Water Smart Contractor Program, which delivers landscape and irrigation training to hundreds of local landscape professionals every year. The program has branded more than eighty companies as "Water Smart Contractors." Doug and his team also created The Water Smart Home Program, the nation's largest water efficiency program for new homes and has certified over 5,000 single family homes in the past two years. A major requirement of the program is that the homes have efficient irrigation systems that do not produce runoff.
The Water Conservation Garden -- El Cajon, CA
Located in the eastern part of San Diego County, on the campus of Cuyamaca College, The Water Conservation Garden has nearly five acres of displays that showcase water conservation through a series of themed gardens. As a public learning laboratory and source for information about water efficient gardening, The Water Conservation Garden is a highly regarded resource that educates the public on developing a water efficient landscape. Among the many exhibits available to the public are multiple displays of turf that show how much water is used by each type; a "Retrofit House" that contrasts the high water use of a plain turf backyard with the low water use of a beautifully landscaped backyard featuring drought-tolerant plants; a mulch and ground cover exhibit as well as a "Firewise Home" exhibit. The Garden also serves as the site of a comprehensive Water Conservation Training course for landscape professionals.
The Snake River Soil & Water Conservation District -- Twin Falls, ID
As one of the first Soil and Water Conservation Districts to implement a water quality/quantity project in a small acreage subdivision in Idaho, the district's pilot project has paved the way for educating the public on employing water conservation through better irrigation water management and the use of drought tolerant plants. The conversions have saved approximately 20 million gallons of groundwater a year in this subdivision, and the district is in the process of touring the state and educating other residents of subdivisions, contractors and realtors.
Pennant Hills Golf Club -- Sydney, Australia
Pennant Hills Golf Club is the first golf club in Australia to implement a state of the art water reclamation scheme involving recycled water use. After being identified as among the highest potable water users in Sydney, the club embarked on a mission to find an alternate long-term sustainable water source. After an extensive evaluation process of a range of alternatives, the Club made the decision to design and construct a wastewater treatment plant to treat and supply high quality water for irrigation purposes and eliminate a reliance on potable water, which is now restricted under current drought conditions. In addition to saving an average of 85 million liters of potable water per year, the plant has also reduced sewage volumes discharged to the sea and serves as a flagship model for other golf courses and recreational facilities worldwide.
Nora Jaeschke, San Diego, CA
Owner of a San Diego property management company, board member of the San Diego County Water Authority and chair of the Water Authority's and the City of San Diego's Conservation Action Committees, Jaeschke has successfully used her city-wide connections to aid the City of San Diego and the San Diego County Water Authority in reducing outdoor water use since the mid 1990's. Her active support of conservation programs for the City of San Diego and the SDCWA have achieved significant water savings in the city of San Diego, despite massive increases in the city's population. Requiring all her property managers to participate in water conservation programs, Jaeschke was instrumental in garnering the participation of Calif. Landscape Contractors Association representatives at her regular Conservation Action Committee meetings, enabling municipalities to share water conservation information and gain the support of landscape contractors.
The winner will be chosen by an esteemed panel of experts that includes: Elizabeth Cutright, Editor, Water Efficiency, The Journal for Water Conservation Professionals, Dan Stark, Executive Director of the American Public Gardens Association; and Ron Stoltz, Director of the School of Landscape Architecture at The University of Arizona.
Based in Azusa, Calif., Rain Bird Corporation is a leading manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services.
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