Nurserymen's Exchange Wins Water Conservation Award
Six Groups Honored for Water Conservation Efforts
Silicon Valley — Water Conservation Awards
NEWS RELEASE: March 16, 2010
PALO ALTO, CA – Two businesses, two organizations, a city and a school district will receive Silicon Valley Water Conservation Awards on World Water Day – Monday, March 22. The Awards, in their second year, recognize groups whose programs and leadership have advanced water conservation in Silicon Valley (San Mateo County, Santa Clara County and Alameda County from Hayward south).
The 2010 Water Conservation Awards will be presented to the following groups:
Agriculture – Nurserymen’s Exchange
Business – Cisco Systems
Government Agency – City of Hayward
Education – California Landscape Contractors Association
Greenscape Management – Campbell Union School District
Organization – Humane Society Silicon Valley
The Awards will be presented at a ceremony hosted by Applied Materials (last year’s business winner) on World Water Day – Monday, March 22 from 11am–1pm. Santa Clara County Board President, Ken Yeager, will give the keynote address. The event is free and open to the public. People should RSVP to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (415) 882-7252 ext. 302.
“With water shortages in the news on a weekly basis, water conservation has become a critical issue facing Silicon Valley,” said Mike Mielke, Senior Director of Environmental Programs and Policy at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group. “To maintain our leading edge in the economy, Silicon Valley must also be a leader in the efficient use of water.”
“Following several years of drought and restrictions on water diversion, greater efforts are being made to stretch our limited supplies further,” said Nicole Sandkulla, Senior Water Resources Engineer at the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency. “The Silicon Valley Water Conservation Awards are aimed at highlighting the best practices and programs in the region.”
“Population growth and climate change will only exacerbate the water challenges we face as a region and as a state, so water conservation is more important now than ever,” said Marianna Grossman, Executive Director of Sustainable Silicon Valley. “The good news is that saving water also saves energy, so it has a double benefit for both climate protection and adaptation.”
The coalition sponsoring the Awards includes: Acterra, Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency, Clean Water Action, California Native Plant Society, Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network, Santa Clara County Creeks Coalition, Santa Clara Valley Water District, Sierra Club Loma Prieta Chapter, Silicon Valley Leadership Group, Sustainable San Mateo County, Sustainable Silicon Valley and Tuolumne River Trust.
Additional information is available at www.waterawards.org
About the Winners:
Agriculture – Nurserymen's Exchange, headquartered in Half Moon Bay, is one of the largest wholesalers of indoor blooming plants, specialty foliage and packaged plants in the country. Through a comprehensive water conservation program that includes extensive investment in facilities as well as an ongoing focus on creating a culture of conservation through education and communication, they have reduced their potable water use by nearly 50% over the last two years. This reduction represents nearly 4% of the Coastside County Water District's water production. Results include:
• 20% reduction in total water usage.
• 49% decrease in potable water usage.
• 76% increase in use of internally recycled water.
• 67% decrease in tailwater discharge to the local sewer utility.
Contact: Don Mendel, 650-712-4236
Business – By retro-commissioning variable frequency drive and HVAC systems, the Cisco Systems campus in San Jose now saves 22 million gallons of water per year. Water efficiency programs for cafeteria kitchens, locker room showers, bathrooms, landscaping and cooling towers saves another 20 million gallons per year. Cisco recently installed 99 evapo-transpiration irrigation controllers with rain sensors, resulting in a 21% reduction in landscape water use. They converted 12 large display fountains into planter beds and utilize drought-tolerant plants, drip irrigation and mulch to reduce water use throughout the campus. Recycled water for landscape irrigation and display fountains represents 30% of water consumption.
Contact: Ron Verdugo, 408-314-7536
Government Agency – As a result of its aggressive water conservation programs, the City of Hayward has one of the lowest per capita residential water use rates in the Bay Area at 69 gallons per person per day. Hayward was one of the first municipalities to enact indoor water use efficiency standards that exceed current plumbing standards, which will reduce water use by 20%. Their new green building ordinance mandates aggressive water efficiency standards for all new construction, and their Bay-Friendly Landscaping Ordinance requires a minimum of 75% drought-tolerant plants and restricts turf to 25% of landscaping. Evapo-transpiration controllers with rain sensors and efficient irrigation systems are required. Hayward offers $150 rebates for high efficiency toilets, $175 rebates for high efficiency clothes washers and distributes free water efficient showerheads and faucet aerators. They also facilitate pre-rinse spray valve replacements for food-related businesses, large landscape water use surveys and waterwise curriculum for 600 fifth graders each year.
Contact: Alex Ameri, 510-583-4720
Education – The California Landscape Contractors Association’s Water Management Certification Program helps today’s green industry professionals reduce landscape water usage using advanced irrigation technology and a water budget. Certification consists of two parts: a written test and a performance requirement managing a site to a water budget for a year. The program has been well received by the industry and was approved for continuing education units by PLANET and the Landscape Architecture Continuing Education System.
Contact: Frank Niccoli, 650-670-7912
Greenscape Management – The Campbell Union School District participated in a water use audit conducted by the Santa Clara Valley Water District and ended up replacing ordinary manual irrigation timers with 45 WeatherTRAK™ smart controllers at 12 sites/schools, including several athletic fields and large turf areas. The WeatherTRAK controllers apply precise amounts of water only when the landscape needs it, calculating customized irrigation schedules based on programmable parameters for soil type, sprinkler head model and plant variety. These schedules are automatically adjusted based on microclimate weather data. As a result, the District reduced annual landscape water use by 39%, saving more than 35 million gallons of water and realizing $108,000 in savings last year.
Contact: Dave Radke, 408-341-7204
Organization – In 2009 the Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) hosted the grand opening of its new Animal Community Center in Milpitas. The 48,000 square-foot center is a registered Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) project and is on track to be one of the first LEED Gold Certified animal community centers in the nation. Through aggressive efficiency measures, the new facility will use 45% less water than comparable facilities. HSSV invested in a high pressure kennel cleaning system requiring only 2.2 gallons per minute, and installed high efficiency plumbing fixtures and laundry appliances throughout the facility. They installed artificial turf rather than natural grass in the community dog parks and use native plants in landscaping.
Contact: Stephanie Ladeira, 408-262-3133
