North Georgia water utilities continue conservation winning streaks

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized three north Georgia water agencies with a 2022 WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award for helping people save water.

The Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District, Athens-Clarke County Public Utilities Department and the Cobb County Water System were honored on Oct. 6 during the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas.

Organizations from across the U.S. were recognized for their commitment to promoting WaterSense and water efficiency in 2021. Notably, this is Athens-Clarke County’s sixth year to receive the Sustained Excellence Award and the fifth years for the Metropolitan North Georgia Water District and Cobb County Water to be recognized. Award recipients include utilities, manufacturers, builders, retailers, and other organizations that partner with WaterSense to promote water-efficient products, homes and programs.

CCWS earned the award for:

♦ Promoting Fix a Leak Week by creating an instructional video with a 10-minute challenge on how to find and fix silent leaks. CCWS shared the video with over 100 community members during the Wonder of Water Weekend at a local park, gave away WaterSense labeled showerheads and demonstrated how to replace them.

♦ Launching a new program and training 37 Cobb County resident volunteers on water conservation to help educate consumers during community events.

♦ Tracking multifamily buildings with high water use and promoting the commercial toilet rebate program to properties built prior to 1993 — offering a $50 credit on the building’s water bill for replacing up to 100 older toilets with WaterSense labeled models.

♦ Continuing its program to offer residents a free indoor water savings kit, complete with faucet aerators and a showerhead; and

♦ Sponsoring a coloring book contest, inviting fourth and fifth graders to draw its mascot Tappy Turtle saving and protecting water.

Georgia is one of three states to mandate high-efficiency plumbing fixtures in all new developments — exceeding federal standards. The Alliance for Water Efficiency releases a Water Efficiency and Conservation State Scorecard every five years. In 2017, Georgia received a B+ for Efficiency and Conservation. Though the 2022 report has not yet been released, Georgia is expected to maintain or increase its AWE grade.

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