The First Facility Management Blog

The Water Environment Federation (WEF) will join with the International Water Association (IWA), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and other partnering organizations to celebrate World Water Monitoring Day™ 2008 on Thursday, September 18 at Hains Point Park in Washington, DC. This year’s program will feature a special hand washing campaign to recognize the United Nations’ “International Year of Sanitation.”

World Water Monitoring Day (WWMD) is an international outreach program that builds public awareness and involvement in protecting water resources around the world. Held annually between September 18 and October 18, the program engages communities in monitoring the condition of local rivers, streams, estuaries, and other waterbodies.

Worldwide participation is expected to surpass last year, when more than 46,000 people tested water quality in 43 countries. The program coordinators, WEF and IWA, plan to expand participation to one million people in 100 countries by 2012.

Working in partnership with Procter & Gamble, an estimated 12,000 water monitoring kits, including bars of biodegradable, environmentally friendly soap and a handwashing fact sheet, will be distributed to people in more than 50 countries as part of the “Wash Your Hands, Save a Life” campaign. This campaign provides an opportunity to offer a key message about basic hygiene to people around the world. Particularly in countries where adequate sanitation systems and hygiene knowledge are lacking, this message can save lives.

Following brief opening remarks and safety demonstration, a diverse group of attendees will conduct hands-on testing of both the Anacostia River and Potomac River for water quality indicators including dissolved oxygen, acidity, temperature, and turbidity (clarity). Results are reported online, tabulated, and presented in a year-end report that documents program participation. Event speakers include: Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) (invited); Benjamin Grumbles, Assistant Administrator for Water, U.S. EPA (invited); WEF President Adam Zabinski; Ase Johannessen, Development Programme Officer for IWA; Eddy Perez, Senior Sanitation Specialist for World Bank D.C.; and Jerry Johnson, General Manager of the DC Water and Sewer Authority.

In addition to WEF, IWA, EPA and USGS, participating organizations include PerkinElmer Instruments, Smithfield Foods, CH2M HILL, ITT Corporation, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Forest Service, Naturalist Audubon Society, Girl Scouts of the Nation’s Capital, Earth Day Network, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the National Environmental Education Foundation, and many more.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized six winners of the 2007 Water Efficiency Leader (WEL) awards last week for their efforts in reducing, reusing, and recycling water. Winners were chosen by a panel of national water experts and based on three criteria: leadership, innovation, and water saved.

“We applaud these winners for saving water, energy and money for America’s families and communities,” said Benjamin H. Grumbles, EPA’s assistant administrator for water. “They’re proving innovative technology and environmental stewardship can help conserve our country’s greatest liquid asset.”

The WEL Awards are aimed at fostering a nationwide ethic of water efficiency, which is critical to the growing U.S. economy and quality of life. Due to demographic shifts, increased demand, and aging water infrastructure, there is a national need for more efficient use of our water resources.

The winners of the 2007 WEL Awards are:

* Intel Corporation, Ocotillo Campus (Chandler, AZ) - Corporate - This company’s three initiatives focused on the collective recycling of 75% of the water used during manufacturing thereby reducing their net demand for city water; the take-back of 825 million gallons of treated wastewater from the city’s wastewater plant; the internal re-use of 530 million gallons of water; and treatment of 575 million gallons of water to drinking water standards that is then returned to the local underwater aquifer.

* Santa Clara Valley Water District (San Jose, CA) - Government - This water management agency helped the community reduce water demand by 55,000 acre-feet, or 12% of present demand, through conservation and water recycling with plans to further reduce demand for water.

* Frito-Lay (Plano, TX) - Industry - Frito-Lay’s efforts at its 33 facilities resulted in the 39% reduction of water consumption per pound of product since 1999.

* Lackland Air Force Base (Lackland, TX) - Military - This military base uses comprehensive water conservation measures and purchases recycled wastewater for reuse on the base.

* The Kentucky Pollution Prevention Center (KPPC), at the University of Louisville (Louisville, KY) - Nongovernmental Organization - The Center finds profitable pollution prevention solutions for the metal industry to reduce the need for, and cost associated with, end-of-pipe controls. One example includes KPPC’s assistance that resulted in a 30% net water savings, valued at $50,000 annually, while production at the metal finishing plant increased 50%.

* Allan Dietemann, Seattle Public Utilities (Seattle, WA) - Individual - Dietemann has promoted water conservation for 20 years, resulting in reduced water consumption for businesses, government, and homeowners alike.

Learn more about the winners at www.epa.gov/water/wel