DOW named three-time winner of EPA WaterSense Excellence Award
Published on October 26, 2023
LIHUE—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has honored the Department of Water, County of Kaua`i (DOW) with its third WaterSense Excellence Award for their efforts to promote WaterSense and water efficiency as part of their conservation program efforts in 2022. DOW was recognized at an awards ceremony during the American Water Works Association’s (AWWA), WaterSmart Innovations (WSI) Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 5, 2023.
“This accomplishment is shaped by our employees’ commitment to excellence in all phases of water services and is an even greater honor to compete at the national level as a three-time recipient of this award”, said Joe Tait, DOW’s Manager and Chief Engineer. “These successful programs would not be possible without the foundational support of the Kaua`i Board of Water Supply and our team of dedicated Department of Water employees who develop and inspire conservation and educational outreach program efforts each year.”
WaterSense, a voluntary partnership program sponsored by EPA, is both a label for water-efficient products, programs, and homes and a resource for helping consumers learn ways to save water. More than 2,100 manufacturers, builders, retailers, utilities, government, and nonprofit organizations nationwide, partner with WaterSense to promote water-efficient products, homes, and programs.
“With extreme weather affecting water supplies and quality, saving this precious resource is more important than ever,” said Veronica Blette, Chief, WaterSense Branch. “The 2023 award winners helped Americans look to WaterSense and save not just water, but the energy required to heat and treat it, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with energy use.”
EPA WaterSense recognized DOW for their creative approach to the Fix a Leak Week campaign in 2022, when they partnered with locally owned, Tanaka Hardware Store to host an in-store countertop displays offering free toilet leak detection tablets in addition to a branded campaign display at their main offices. DOW increased their advertisements of the Fix a Leak Week campaign that led to the participation of the island’s Hawaii Public Housing Authority (HPHA) properties. Through the HPHA, leak detection tablets and conservation information were provided to residents that use water services, but do not directly receive a water bill. This contributed to the more than 1,100 toilet leak detection tablets and 352 leak detection starter kits were distributed during Fix a Leak Week surpassing their campaign distribution goal by 45%. Additionally, the DOW hosted its 17th Make a Splash festival conducting the state of Hawaii’s largest and only water education festival to teach water-related activities to more than 750 students. In 2022, DOW also partnered with Ferguson Facilities Supply, Inc. and received an in-kind donation of a WaterSense labeled toilet which they used as a display in their main lobby as part of a WaterSense labeled model promotional exhibition.
For more information about EPA’s WaterSense program, visit www.epa.gov/watersense.
To learn more about DOW’s conservation and educational outreach programs, contact the Department of Water at 808-245-5455 or email publicrelations@kauaiwater.org.
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