The Water Conservation Leadership Award recognizes an individual, business, group, or other organization that has demonstrated a commitment to protecting our water resources through water conservation. Any resident, business, group, or other organization in Athens-Clarke County is eligible to apply.
Congratulations to all the winners!
The 2021 Water Conservation Leadership Award Winner for a Business is Athens Hardware and Normal Hardware. Both Athens Hardware and Normal Hardware have assisted the Water Conservation Office with promotions assisting our customers with wise water use. In the spring, they encourage Athens residents to love their shower, distributing free WaterSense-labeled showerheads provided to them by the Water Conservation Office. In 2021, over 400 showerheads made it into the hands of residents, reducing water use by an estimated 2.4 million gallons annually. They also assisted customers in flipping their flapper - toilet leaks are the biggest leaky culprit in the home, most often due to the faulty flapper. By guiding customers into the proper toilet flapper selection during our promotion, they reduced water loss by an estimated 2.2 million gallons annually.
The 2020 Water Conservation Leadership Award Winner for an Individual is Dr. Brian Schwartz. He oversees a UGA research team in the production of TifTurf, a drought-tolerant bermudagrass. The turfgrass reduces water use by 38% over the most popular varieties. Want to experience the grass? Visit the quad at UGA North Campus and put your toes in it. Thank you, Dr. Schwartz, for your efforts to help us all use water efficiently while maintaining a beautiful lawn.
The 2019 Water Conservation Leadership Award Winner in Advocacy is Cassidy Lord. With nearly 10 years of involvement with water-based organizations in Georgia, Cassidy is a leader among water advocates. As president of the Upper Oconee Watershed Network and chair of the advocacy committee, she volunteers countless hours working on long-term forest conservation to protect local drinking water sources. Cassidy organized and hosted the Upper Oconee Forests and Drinking Water Forum in 2019, bringing people together with the goal of creating a drinking water fund in Upper Oconee Watershed.
The 2019 Water Conservation Leadership Award Winner for an Individual is Gregg Nagle and Merrily Dunn. Gregg Nagle and Merrily Dunn (not pictured) exemplify wise water use with their recently built Earthcraft Certified (EC) home. EC is a residential green building program designed to work with the Southeast climate conditions. Gregg and Merrily installed 44 solar panels that do not require water in order to generate energy. Their home is fitted completely with WaterSense fixtures, using at least 20% less water than traditional fixtures. In addition, they installed a 50-year metal roof that collects rainwater to reuse in two storage tanks with a capacity of 770 gallons.
The 2019 Water Conservation Leadership Award Winner for a Business is Terrapin Beer Company. Terrapin Beer Company has taken tremendous steps to be an example of sustainability in Athens. Inside the average brewhouse, it takes seven gallons of water to produce one gallon of beer. Through significant water-saving efforts, Terrapin uses about four gallons for every gallon of beer produced, October is water awareness month at the brewery and a portion of taproom proceeds go to Georgia River Network. Terrapin has also invested heavily in their wastewater pretreatment facility to mitigate the impact of its waste stream on our public utility collection system, ultimately helping to improve the quality of our local watershed.
The 2018 Water Conservation Leadership Award Winner for an Individual is Michael Brugger. Conservation is an everyday lifestyle for Michael Brugger. He believes individual responsibility is a good start to conserving water on a larger scale. Mr. Brugger uses his water resources wisely both inside and outside his home. He limits showers to 5 minutes - and leaves polite notes to houseguests to honor Mother Earth and take shorter showers, too. Mr. Brugger only runs his dishwasher and washing machine when full and fills a basin to rinse dishes rather than running water. When leaving on vacation, he shuts off the water to prevent any drips or leaks. He uses rain barrels and mulches all his plants to reduce the need to water. If there’s a lack of rain, Michael collects water while showering for use in his yard and garden.
The 2018
Water Conservation Leadership Award Winner for a Business is The Classic Center. As part of an energy performance contract, The Classic Center completed a significant water conservation project in 2018. The retrofit project included modifying restroom faucets, sinks, toilets, urinals, showers, ice machines, and chillers to higher conservation standards. Through this activity, The Classic Center expects to reduce their water use by 1.1 million gallons each year. The project is an excellent model for how to conserve resources in large public facilities.
