EPA to Announce First-Ever WaterSense Partner of the Year Awards

Benjamin Grumbles, assistant administrator for the Office of Water with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will present the first-ever WaterSense Awards Oct. 9, at the keynote luncheon of the inaugural WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas.

Presented by the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA) in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) WaterSense Program and other forward-thinking organizations, WaterSmart Innovations is slated for Oct. 8-10 at the South Point Hotel and Casino.

At the luncheon, Grumbles and the EPA will recognize WaterSense program partners in the following categories:

-Promotional Partner of the Year
-Manufacturer Partner of the Year
-Retailer/Distributor Partner of the Year
-Irrigation Partner of the Year

“We are pleased and excited that the EPA has chosen WaterSmart Innovations as the platform for announcing these important awards,” said Doug Bennett, WaterSmart Innovations program chairman. “The awards not only highlight those entities that have done so much to promote efficient use of water, they also underscore the nature of WaterSmart Innovations as the world’s leading conference and exposition devoted solely to urban water efficiency.”

EPA launched the WaterSense Awards program last February, honoring work performed during 2007. The new awards recognize WaterSense partners who helped advance the overall mission of WaterSense; increased awareness of the WaterSense brand in a measurable way; and demonstrated overall excellence in the water-efficiency arena. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/watersense/awards.htm.

Other organizations collaborating with the SNWA and the EPA on WaterSmart Innovations include the Alliance for Water Efficiency, California Urban Water Conservation Council, the California-Nevada Section of the American Water Works Association, Irrigation Association, American Society of Irrigation Consultants, Audubon International, the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials and the International Center for Water Technology.

Major commercial conference sponsors include Rain Bird Corp., Caroma USA, MWH Americas, Inc., TOTO USA, Inc., the National Association of Home Builders, AECOM, Inc., Ewing Irrigation, Black & Veatch, Global Water, Hunter Industries, Inc., the Springs Preserve and Water Management, Inc.

For more information, visit www.WaterSmartInnovations.com.