Irrigation Show 2008: Water Warriors

ANAHEIM, Calif. – At the Irrigation Show 2008 in early November, the Irrigation Association (IA) announced its annual award winners.
 
The Industry Achievement Award went to Charles Meis, vice president of research and development for Lindsay Corp. Meis started in the irrigation industry 37 years ago, and the IA credited him for being at the forefront of irrigation industry technology and advancement.
 
Bradford Monroe was named the IA Person of the Year for his 30 years in the classroom teaching about irrigation, as well as being the author of six books on irrigation design, installation and management.

The Crawford Reid Memorial Award, which promotes proper irrigation techniques and major industry advancements, was presented to Karen Hounsome. In 1978, Hounsome became involved in the irrigation industry, and “I’ve always believed a properly designed irrigation system promotes the end user and the industry,” she said. “I think it’s great to provide education to the homeowner who is thirsting for information and doesn’t know what to believe.”

Because of Hounsome’s efforts, 3,000 more homeowners now know how to ask the right questions to get the right irrigation system put in the first time. “Today, we’re irrigating to plant requirements – imagine where we’ll be in 30 years,” Hounsome shared.
 
The City of Palmdale, Calif., won the National Water & Energy Conservation Award, and Michael Mischel, director of public works for the city, accepted the award from the IA. Palmdale officials earned the award for replacing outdated systems in city parks with computer-driven central control systems. This reduced water usage by 20 percent from 2006 to 2007 and saved the city $235,000. The city is moving to an entirely ET-based system in the next five years, Mischel said.

The first WaterSense Partner of the Year Award was given out this year to Timothy Malooly, who has been in the irrigation industry for 26 years, is president of two Minnesota-based irrigation firms and holds three WaterSense label certifications – CID, CIC and CLIA.
 
Wayne Nastri, U.S. EPA Region 9 Administrator, presented the award, which recognizes the hard work and dedication of a WaterSense partner who has gone above and beyond the call of duty to promote water efficiency and communicate the importance of water efficiency to customers and the general public.

In his introduction about the award, Nastri shared the importance of water conservation and how it affects energy consumption. “In California alone, the movement and transfer of water makes up 20 percent of total electricity and 30 percent of gas consumption. We can save energy by saving water. It’s a strategy everyone can do. WaterSense aims to preserve water for future generations – it’s about using less water to maintain the same standards.”

More than 120 irrigation professionals in Nastri’s region have become WaterSense certified so far. “Keeping landscapes green while preserving blue is a formidable challenge,” he said. “I’m confident this is a challenge we can meet.”