Rain Bird announces Intelligent Use of Water awards program winners

AZUSA, CA, Mar. 22, 2012 -- In support of 2012 World Water Day, Rain Bird announced the winners of its 2011-2012 Intelligent Use of Water Awards program, an online competition where visitors were able to cast votes to determine the recipients of more than $50,000 in water conservation grants. After 5 months and nearly 400,000 votes, ten projects finished the competition on top, claiming funds from four different budget categories: $1,500, $5,000 and $10,000.

All projects in the Intelligent Use of Water Awards program supported the efficient use of water, the preservation of green spaces and a demonstrated sustainability. Beginning in November of 2011, participants vied for support from the public to enter votes via the competition website www.IUOWAwards.com up until the official close of voting on March 15, 2012. Following a verification of votes, the 2011-2012 Intelligent Use of Water Awards winners are as follows:

$1,500 Winners

* Community Garden, StoneMill Elementary School, North Potomac, MD
* Watershed Revitalization, Community Initiative for Sustainable Development, Bambili Africa
* Outdoor Classroom and Garden, Prescott Elementary, Lincoln, NE
* Community Garden, Cedarpines, CA

$5,000 Winners

* Alice Carlson Rainwater Harvesting Outdoor Learning Environment, Fort Worth, TX
* Monterey Road Eco Community Gardens, Glendale, CA
* Organic Farm, Green Dragon Farms, Frazier Park, CA

$10,000 Winners

* Rainwater Harvesting, Friends of Boerner Botanical Gardens, Hales Corners, WI
* Pacific Northwest Native Plants, Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Foundation, Shoreline, WA
* Greywater Program, Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Columbus, OH

More information on the winners can be found at www.IUOWAwards.com.

"There were a tremendous amount of high quality water conservation projects entered into the Intelligent Use of Water Awards program," said Dave Johnson, Rain Bird's director of corporate marketing. "It was inspirational to see how many individuals and organizations are committed to preserving the Earth's most precious resource. It is Rain Bird's desire to facilitate multiple approaches to solving the global water crisis and we hope that our contribution will help these well-deserved projects take form and succeed."

The Intelligent Use of Water Awards, now in its fifth year, recognizes innovative individuals and organization that demonstrate leadership in the management and protection of water through water conservation projects. Historically, the program had honored completed projects, but in 2010, the program was changed to provide funding for future water conservation projects.

In developing the program, Rain Bird assembled a team of partners that share a common goal of helping individuals and organizations make an impact in their community through the Intelligent Use of Water. Partnering in support of the Intelligent Use of Water Awards program were The Alliance for Water Efficiency, The American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA), the Council for Watershed Health, The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) and the Environmental Institute for Golf (EIG), Golfdom magazine, Growing A Greener World, Landscape Management magazine, The National Gardening Association, Pebble Beach Resorts, Project WET, Smart Approved WaterMark, The Gardener Guy, and The Groundwater Foundation.

For more information on the Intelligent Use of Water Awards, please visit www.iuowawards.com. Become a fan of Rain Bird on Facebook at facebook.com/RainBirdCorp, and follow Rain Bird on Twitter, @RainBirdCorp.

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