Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) was honored last week as the winner of the 2021 California Municipal Utilities Association’s Resource Efficiency and Community Service Award for large agencies in the water sector.
EMWD was recognized for its nationally renowned Recycled Water Accelerated Retrofit Program, which helps customers transition landscape areas to recycled water while also promoting water conservation programs in the process.
According to the program guidelines, the judges scored each nominated project in four areas: a) the program’s overall concept and implementation; b) originality, creativity, and innovativeness; c) promotion of efficient use of natural resources and/or serving local community needs; and d) benefits to customers and/or the community.
As part of the retrofit program, EMWD identified eligible customers adjacent to recycled water infrastructure that are still using potable water for irrigation needs. EMWD then lead designing, permitting and initial funding to transition the site to recycled water in an expedited timeline. The project costs were then reimbursed to EMWD through a specialized rate – lower than the potable water rate but higher than the normal recycled water rate.
The program is in its third phase and has benefited more than 50 sites, including schools, parks, industrial complexes, homeowners’ associations and public landscaping. It has saved nearly 1,000 acre feet of potable water per year – enough to provide for more than 2,000 households.
“EMWD appreciates this honor by the California Municipal Utilities Association,” EMWD Board President Phil Paule said. “We are incredibly proud of our Accelerated Retrofit Program and the benefits it has provided to our customers and the potable water savings we have achieved as a result.”
SOURCE: Eastern Municipal Water District
