Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership Wins Two 2022 WaterSense® Awards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership (Partnership) with two 2022 WaterSense Awards for helping people save water, a 2022 Sustained Excellence Award for its ongoing success with its Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL) program and a 2022 Partner of the Year Award for its promotional activities in 2021 amid a second year of drought. In recognition of their commitment to promoting WaterSense and water efficiency in 2021, the Partnership was honored today during the WaterSmart Innovations (WSI) Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas, along with along with 33 other awardees - utilities, manufacturers, builders, retailers, and other organizations that partner with WaterSense to promote water-efficient products, homes, and programs.

“We are proud that our QWEL program continues to provide value locally and throughout the western region. Our ability to establish a hybrid, bilingual training and online testing platform expanded the program’s accessibility”, said Grant Davis, General Manager of Sonoma Water.

“It is an honor to receive the 2022 Promotional Partner of the Year award.  This recognition of our regional effort responding to historic drought conditions highlights the Partnership's commitment to helping our communities save water", said Jennifer Burke, Director of Santa Rosa Water and Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee with oversight of the Partnership.

WaterSense, a voluntary partnership program sponsored by EPA, is both a label for water-efficient products, programs, and homes and a resource for helping consumers learn ways to save water. Since 2006, more than 2,100 WaterSense partners and over 40,000 models of certified water-efficient plumbing and irrigation products have helped consumers and businesses save 6.4 trillion gallons of water—enough water to supply all households in the United States with water for eight months. In addition to water savings, WaterSense has helped reduce the amount of energy needed to pump, treat, and heat water by 754 billion kilowatt hours and helped consumers save $135 billion in water and energy bills. These savings also helped prevent 288 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, which is equivalent to planting 4.8 billion trees!

“Throughout 2021, our award-winning partners helped people protect this precious resource by promoting WaterSense labeled products and water-efficient behaviors,” said Veronica Blette, Chief, WaterSense Branch. “Saving water is particularly critical in areas impacted by drought, but is also a path to helping consumers stretch dollars by reducing their water and energy bills.”

For more information about WaterSense, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.

###

WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by EPA, seeks to protect the future of our nation's water supply by offering consumers and businesses simple ways to use less water with water-efficient products, homes, and services.

Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership represents 13 water utilities in Sonoma and Marin counties who have joined together to provide a regional approach to water use efficiency. The utilities are the Cities of Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Petaluma, Sonoma, Cotati, Healdsburg, Cloverdale; North Marin and Valley of the Moon Water Districts, Marin Water, Town of Windsor, California American Water - Larkfield and Sonoma Water. Visit us online at www.SavingWaterPartnership.org.

Media Contact: 
Paul Piazza, Water Use Efficiency Manager
Sonoma Water 
paul.piazza@scwa.ca.gov
(707) 547-1968

Andrea Rodriguez, Communications Manager
Sonoma Water 
andrea.rodriguez@scwa.ca.gov
(707) 331-2040