WASHINGTON - More than 1,000 WaterSense partners helped Americans save 9.3 billion gallons of water in 2008. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency named five of them as the 2009 WaterSense Partners of the Year.

“Our partners have demonstrated how collaboration and commitment to water efficiency can result in major savings for Americans,” said Peter S. Silva, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water.

“By working together to promote WaterSense labeled products and other water-efficient behaviors, they are helping Americans save tremendously on water, energy and money on their utility bills.”

The following utilities, manufacturer, retailer and individual were recognized for their extraordinary efforts promoting WaterSense in 2008:

·         Promotional Partners of the Year: Cobb County Water System, Marietta, Ga. (large utility)

·         James City Service Authority, Williamsburg, Va. (small utility)

·         Manufacturer Partner of the Year: Kohler Co., Kohler, Wis.

·         Retailer Partner of the Year: Lowe’s Companies, Inc., Mooresville, N.C.

·         Irrigation Partner of the Year: Brian Vinchesi, Pepperell, Mass.

Following are just a few ways these partners have worked to save water for future generations:

·         Cobb County Water System worked with Kohler, Lowe’s and other WaterSense partners to promote the state of Georgia’s first sales tax holiday on WaterSense labeled products.

·         Kohler earned the WaterSense label on 40 percent of its faucets and 25 percent of its toilets. They used mobile restrooms to showcase these products at events nationwide.

·         Lowe’s, one of the largest home improvement retailers in North America, trained more than 200,000 employees to promote WaterSense to customers at 1,650 stores and has demonstrated that increasing the percentage of WaterSense labeled products they sell is a top priority.

·         James City Service Authority helped consumers in coastal Virginia save water and money through collaboration with local citizen coalitions to encourage local plumbers and retailers to provide discounts on the sale and installation of WaterSense labeled toilets in addition to offering rebates on WaterSense labeled products.

·         Certified irrigation professional Brian Vinchesi champions water-efficient landscapes as a WaterSense irrigation partner and president of Irrigation Consulting, Inc.

More information on WaterSense Partner of the Year award winners: http://www.epa.gov/watersense