Water awards

Good to see those working to reduce their water impacts get recognized:

Applied Materials – Overall Business category
Reduced water use by 16%, saving more than 40 million gallons of water per year.

California Native Plant Society – Education category
Cosponsored Going Native Garden Tour, educating more than 3,500 people about the water conservation benefits of native plants.

City of Redwood City – Innovation category
Water Allocation Program creates water budgets for landscape irrigation customers, resulting in 15-30% reduction in water use.

City of San José Environmental Services Department – Large Government Agency/Utility category
Water Efficient Technologies (WET) program provides financial incentives for conservation, resulting in 1.6 million gallons of water savings per day.

First Community Housing – Multiple Benefit category
Water conservation measures reduce indoor use by 35% and outdoor use by 64%. Green roof retains 80% of rain fall.

Former Assemblyman John Laird – Individual category
Sponsored state bills to reduce urban and agricultural water use, and to require high efficiency toilets in new developments.

Kirsch Center for Environmental Studies – Small Organization category
LEED-certified green building dramatically reduces indoor water use, and native plants reduce landscape irrigation by 50%.

L-3 Communications – Program-Specific Business category
Reduced city water use for cleaning and plating by 65%, saving 10 million gallons of water and $21,000 per year.

Montara Water & Sanitary District -- Small Government Agency/Utility category
Reduced already-low community water use by 16% to just 69 gallons per person per day.

Stanford University -- Large Organization category
Comprehensive water conservation program has reduced daily campus use from 2.7 to 2.3 million gallons per day since 2001.

ValleyCrest Landscape Maintenance -- Landscape Management category
Helped its Silicon Valley clients save more than 2.3 million gallons of water per day through improved landscape management.

Why the Awards? – California is in its third year of drought, and despite recent storms, precipitation is below average for the year. As a result, Governor Schwarzenegger has called for a 20% reduction in water use. With population growth and climate change looming, current water conditions are expected to become the new norm. The Silicon
Valley Water Conservation Awards recognize businesses and organizations on the cutting edge of water conservation. We hope they will serve as role models for others.

Water Awards Coalition
The Silicon Valley Water Conservation Awards are presented by a coalition of 10
organizations, including: Acterra, Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation
Agency, California Native Plant Society, Clean Water Action, Joint Venture: Silicon
Valley Network, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Silicon Valley Leadership Group,
Sustainable San Mateo County, Sustainable Silicon Valley and Tuolumne River Trust.