The District Wins 2022 WaterSense® Partner of the Year Award

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented Harris-Galveston Subsidence District (HGSD) with a 2022 WaterSense® Partner of the Year Award during the WaterSmart Innovations (WSI) Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas on October 6, 2022.

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. Since 2006, more than 2,100 WaterSense partners and over 40,000 models of certified water-efficient plumbing and irrigation products have helped consumers and businesses save 6.4 trillion gallons of water—enough water to supply all households in the United States with water for eight months.

WaterSense honored Harris-Galveston Subsidence District as a 2022 Partner of the Year Award winner for its substantial efforts in collaborating with other WaterSense partners and organizations to implement successful water-saving projects.

HGSD collaborated with organizations like Galveston Bay Foundation and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to launch a promotional campaign for the Water My Yard program that reached over 2.6 million Texans. Water My Yard is a free tool accessible by web or mobile app that supplies customized recommendations to users each week on how much water is needed for their specific area using data from an extensive network of weather stations combined with local plant water needs.

The District also teamed up with local WaterSense partner, Houston Public Works, to reach over 200,000 people through an e-blast that provided summertime water-saving information and resources, and encouraged readers to take the WaterSense 10-Minute Leak Detection Challenge.

Harris-Galveston Subsidence District continued its support for outdoor water savings through its Water Conservation Grant Program. In 2021, HGSD provided grant funding for two independent school districts to install and operate smart irrigation systems with WaterSense labeled weather-based irrigation controllers for over 50 athletic fields. With these new systems in place, the schools are projected to reduce water use by 25-30% and will provide ongoing data to validate the technology’s impact on water efficiency.

Last year, over 30,000 students in Harris, Galveston, and Fort Bend counties participated in HGSD’s Water Conservation School Program. The program provides 3^rd-6^th graders with water education and resources. As they explore the exciting world of water in the classroom, students are encouraged to conduct experiments at home using EPA WaterSense products provided in their free, take-home water conservation kits that have the potential to save 1,400 gallons of water per month.

Additionally, Harris-Galveston Subsidence District showcased EPA WaterSense resources and promotions during several speaking engagements throughout the year to local water utilities, schools, associations, forums, and the community.

General Manager for Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, Michael J. Turco, shares, “Collaborating with the EPA WaterSense program and its partners has been instrumental in fulfilling our mission to reduce subsidence in Texas’ Gulf Coast Region. We are truly honored to receive the Partner of the Year Award and look forward to working together to ensure a sustainable water future for generations to come.”