Northern Water illustrated its commitment to WaterSense by donating nearly 200 WaterSense labeled showerheads to the nonprofit Energy Resource Center for their retrofits of low-income housing. Northern Water also worked with WaterSense to assist in the creation of an HOA case study showing the value of irrigation professionals certified by a WaterSense labeled program and the use of the WaterSense Find a Pro tool.
To educate professionals on water-smart landscaping, Northern Water partnered with Colorado State University’s Horticulture Department to produce and co-host the Biennial Short Course, a half-day virtual workshop on landscape and horticulture for 130 landscapers, master gardeners, municipal employees, and landscape architects. Northern Water once again collaborated with Colorado State University, along with its Colorado Stormwater Center, to host three virtual trainings on how to reuse rainwater in the landscape. Each webinar featured live translation and was offered in Spanish and English. The three courses had 470 viewers.
New in 2021, Northern Water launched a pilot commercial, industrial and institutional (CII) audit program; to provide in-depth indoor water inspections for schools, municipal properties and office buildings, auditors utilized the WaterSense commercial and institutional water assessment tool. Many audits included installation of WaterSense-labeled showerheads and faucet aerators. In 2021, nine properties participated in the pilot, including six schools in the Thompson School District in and around Loveland.
“We are honored to be recognized for a third year with this prestigious award,” said Esther Vincent, Director of Environmental Services at Northern Water. “Our partnership with WaterSense is critical to the water efficiency services we offer. It is a proven program with an established track record and credibility, and we look forward to many more years of collaboration.”
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. For more information, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.