On October 5, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) honored Harris-Galveston Subsidence District (HGSD) with a WaterSense Partner of the Year Award for the second year in a row. HGSD was recognized during the WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas for its water conservation programs and extensive efforts to make water conservation and efficiency easily obtainable for the greater Houston area.
The District shared valuable water conservation tips, tools, and resources through the smarteraboutwater.org website, blog, and social media channels, garnering over 11,000 impressions just last year. The blog had over 3,000 readers and included several water efficiency themes, one of which educates children using WaterSense’s “Save Water at Home” coloring booklet.
In 2022, HGSD launched its new and improved water conservation school program, called H2O Lab!, providing 3rd-6th grade students in Harris, Galveston, and Fort Bend counties with water education and a free, take-home water conservation kit. Each kit has the potential to save 8,537 gallons of water per year and was provided to 24,784 students and 504 teachers for a combined estimated savings of over 215 million gallons of water per year.
HGSD’s water conservation grant program awarded $450,000 in matching funds spread across five projects to local entities last year. These projects included water efficiency measures by implementing advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), water loss control focusing on leak detection on main water lines, and replacing showerhead fixtures using EPA WaterSense-labeled products.
Additionally, HGSD endorsed EPA WaterSense resources and promotions during several speaking engagements throughout the year to local water utilities, schools, associations, forums, and even in the community, partnering up with fellow WaterSense partner, Houston Public Works, during their Water Works Festival.
General Manager for Harris-Galveston Subsidence District, Mike Turco, shares, “We are proud to be recognized as a Partner of the Year for the second year in a row and collaborate with the EPA WaterSense program to help provide education and resources to make water efficiency obtainable for all.”
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 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.”
