WaterSense Awards

Congratulations to the 2009 WaterSense Partners of the Year!

On October 7, 2009, EPA announced its 2009 award winners at the first-ever WaterSense Awards Banquet held in conjunction with the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas, Nevada. The banquet was jointly sponsored by WaterSense and the Alliance for Water Efficiency.

The 2009 Partners of the Year represent the best of WaterSense’s four Partner categories and have made great strides in increasing water efficiency and awareness of the WaterSense label across the country. And the winners are…

• Kohler Co (Manufacturer)
• Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (Retailer/Distributor)
• Cobb County Water System (Promotional Partner – Large Utility)
• James City Service Authority (Promotional Partner – Small Utility)
• Brian Vinchesi (Irrigation Partner)

Learn about these partner's activities (PDF) (4 pp, 872K, About PDF) and review the EPA press release. A photo gallery of the event will be available soon!

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About the Awards Program

Launched in 2008, the WaterSense Partners of the Year awards program recognizes WaterSense Partners who:

• Help advance the overall mission of WaterSense
• Increase awareness of the WaterSense brand in a measurable way
• Demonstrate overall excellence in the water-efficiency arena

Partners of the Year contribute to the program’s success by enhancing the market for water-efficient products, practices, and services. Manufacturer Partners design and produce innovative WaterSense labeled products that reduce water use by at least 20 percent; retailers and distributors help bring these products to consumers; promotional Partners educate the public at large and even provide consumers with incentives; and landscape irrigation professionals design, maintain, and audit outdoor irrigation systems. Dedicated Partners in each sector are critical to the program’s success and the WaterSense Partner of the Year awards program acknowledges the ‘best of the best.’

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2009 Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for an award, Partners were required to have:

1. Joined the program prior to January 1, 2009. Award decisions are based on Partner's activities in 2008.
2. Submitted an annual reporting form per the Partnership agreement (irrigation Partners must be in good standing with their certification program(s).
3. Submitted a complete awards application by April 17, 2009.

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2009 Application Process

To be considered for an award, applicants were asked to download and complete the relevant WaterSense awards application, submit an annual reporting form, provide a written statement addressing the evaluation criteria described in the instructions, and provide supporting materials.

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2009 Application Materials

Please note that the 2009 application period closed on April 17, 2009. The following materials are provided for informational purposes only.

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Plan ahead for your 2010 Partner of the Year application!

Now is the perfect time to put you organization in the best possible position for the 2010 awards, which will recognize activities performed from January through December, 2009. Start now by familiarizing yourself with tips for success, eligibility requirements, and application process.

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Tips for Success

There are a few steps you can take to ensure that your activities stand out from the pack. Because the awards are based on your 2009 activities, you can be thinking about these things now:

• Partner of the Year Awards are based on activities that increase awareness about WaterSense and WaterSense labeled products. General education on the importance of water efficiency is valued, but your application should focus on outreach, incentives, advertising, public relations, etc. that educate your customers, employees, and/or other stakeholders about WaterSense and your affiliation with the program.
• Emphasis is placed on working with other Partners to promote WaterSense, such as Partners who collaborate to promote a campaign or event (such as a sales tax holiday for WaterSense labeled products). If you need help starting a collaborative effort, just let us know—we’re happy to help!
• Be sure to provide measurable results—number of people reached, rebates cashed, products sold, signs posted, newsletters distributed, etc.

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2008 WaterSense Partners of the Year

On October 9, 2008, EPA unveiled the first-ever WaterSense Partners of the Year at the inaugural WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. They included:

• The Saving Water Partnership - Seattle and 17 Participating Local Water Utilities
  (Promotional Partner of the Year)
• Kohler Co. (Manufacturer Partner of the Year)
• Ferguson (Retailer/Distributor Partner of the Year)
• Timothy Malooly (Irrigation Partner of the Year)

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