DOW Earns 4th WaterSense Award
The Department of Water, County of Kauaʻi earned their fourth WaterSense Award for Excellence in Education and Outreach. New in 2023, the Department organized a month-long Your Better Yard campaign to showcase easy xeriscaping options for water-efficient landscaping. The Department of Water gave away lavender seed packets and showcased a selection of drought-tolerant plants and posted landscaping tips on signage. To promote Your Better Bathroom and Shower Better, Kauaʻi staff set up a display in the Department of Water lobby offering free WaterSense labeled showerheads—giving away more than 275, which they anticipate will save nearly 750,000 gallons of water in the County of Kauaʻi annually! Throughout the year, the Department held eight WaterSense-specific distribution events in the community where they handed out WaterSense labeled showerheads and faucet aerators, shower timers, leak detection tablets, and WaterSense educational materials. Their one-person team participated in over 20 outreach events in 2023, where they educated customers on water-saving practices and promoted WaterSense labeled fixtures.
About the WaterSense Awards
On September 26, 2024, the 2023 WaterSense Sustained Excellence, Partner of the Year, and Excellence Award winners were announced during the WaterSmart Innovations Conference. WaterSense and its more than 2,000 utility, manufacturer, retail, builder, and other organizational partners make it possible for consumers and businesses to save water, energy, and money by producing and promoting water-efficient products, homes, and programs. Since 2006, WaterSense partners have helped save 8.7 trillion gallons of water and $207 billion on consumer utility bills.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is pleased to recognize 19 Sustained Excellence Award winners, 10 Partner of the Year Award winners, and 22 Excellence Award winners for their support of WaterSense and water efficiency in 2023 and contributing to annual savings of 1.2 trillion gallons of water.