Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District Honored with WaterSense Award for Fifth Straight Year

(Las Vegas – October 4, 2019) The Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (Metro Water District) has received the WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This is the fifth consecutive year the EPA has recognized the Metro Water District for its innovative conservation programming and close collaboration with its network of partners.

Each year, the EPA recognizes as WaterSense partners organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to promoting water efficiency and strengthening the drought resiliency of communities across the country. More than 1,700 utilities, manufacturers, retailers, builders and organizations partner with WaterSense, a program sponsored by the EPA that promotes water-efficient products, homes and services. Very few are granted the Sustained Excellence Award, the highest distinction the program awards.

“We are honored to be recognized for our outreach work with the WaterSense program,” said Charlotte Nash, Chairman of the Metro Water District. “In recent years, metro Atlanta’s population has grown by leaps and bounds, and yet our water usage has declined, thanks in large part to this program.”

In 2018, the Metro Water District collaborated with its 55 water providers and regional partners on a range of programs to promote water conservation. These included:

  • Launching the My Drop Counts Business Pledge to encourage businesses and schools to take specific actions to significantly reduce their water use inside their building and on their campuses
  • Expanding the My Drop Counts Individual Pledge to accept water conservation pledges from residents across the state
  • Sponsoring the 7th Annual Water Drop Dash 5K and Water Festival during Fix a Leak Week at the Chattahoochee Nature Center in Roswell, with nearly 1000 participants
  • Participating in many events and festivals hosted by member utilities and partners across the region to talk about the importance of water conservation and promote WaterSense labeled products
  • Educating residents and real estate agents about the relationship between septic systems and water efficiency
  • Participating in DragonCon to creatively adapt popular conference activities to promote messaging

WaterSense has been instrumental in the Atlanta region’s efforts to reduce water use. Since 2001, total water use in metro Atlanta has dropped by more than 10 percent, even as the population increased by more than one million.

Since it began in 2006, WaterSense has helped Americans save a cumulative 2.7 trillion gallons of water and more than $63.8 billion in water and energy bills.

“Our partners have made water-saving products, homes, and programs accessible across the nation and have educated millions on the importance of water conservation,” said Veronica Blette, Chief, WaterSense Branch. “These WaterSense award winners are leading the fight against water waste to save our most precious resource.”

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About the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (Metro Water District)

The Metro Water District is dedicated to developing comprehensive regional and watershed-specific water resources plans to be implemented by local governments in the 15-county metro Atlanta region, which includes Bartow, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Paulding, and Rockdale counties. These plans conserve public water supplies, protect water quality and recreational values of the waters, and minimize potential adverse impacts of development on waters in and downstream of the region. Learn more at www.northgeorgiawater.org.

 

About WaterSense

WaterSense, a partnership program sponsored by the 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.

 

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the official planning agency for the 10-county Atlanta Region, including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties as well as the City of Atlanta and 73 other cities.  The Atlanta Regional Commission serves as a catalyst for regional progress by focusing leadership, attention and planning resources on key regional issues.

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