Twice a year Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities recognizes local citizens and businesses for being WaterSmart. If you know someone that conserves water, you can nominate them here.
Tips from Award Winners:
Ann Tusek reduced the turf areas of her lawn and introduced more drought tolerant plants. She also installed 5 rain barrels to collect rainwater to eliminate her need for using drinking water for irrigation.
John Offerdahl & Sharon Towers – John led a project to install low-flow fixtures throughout the campus at Sharon Towers. The management of the senior care and living facility now uses drip irrigation to sustain their lovely landscape and they have set a goal to reduce their property's total water and energy uses.
Frito-Lay, Inc. – this large manufacturing facility has created a recycling system, a waterless potato peeling process and a system to convert heat to chilled air. Each year Frito Lay reduces the amount of water needed to produce a pound of product and is setting the standard for water conservation in their industry.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools – implemented several water reduction strategies including the "slow the flow" campaign for cafeteria workers, leak detection programs, retrofitting older buildings with low-flow devices and creating an in house approval process to make decisions on outdoor water uses.
Tom Craig at Presbyterian Healthcare - An employee whose initiative is saving Presbyterian Healthcare 9.2 million gallons of water and $54,720 annually recently received recognition for his efforts. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities presented Tom Craig, a biomedical sterilizer technician at Presbyterian Healthcare for six years, with its WaterStar award May 8 during its annual celebration of National Drinking Water Week. Tom took extra steps to conserve water by retrofitting hospital sterilizers at Presbyterian Hospital, Presbyterian Hospital Huntersville, Presbyterian Hospital Matthews, Presbyterian Orthopaedic Hospital and other Presbyterian facilities with a water-saving device known as the Water-Mizer™. By installing the Water-Mizer™ device on 21 sterilizers, Tom allows Presbyterian Healthcare to save 25,200 gallons of water each day. The Water-Mizer™ eliminates the "tempering" water consumption during the non-sterilizing portion of the sterilizers' cycle, substantially reducing overall water consumption.
Tom plans to install the device at five more facilities throughout Novant Health, the parent company of Presbyterian Healthcare. He expects to double the water savings once the additional devices are installed. "Tom is an outstanding member of our team," said Alan Koreneff, director of Presbyterian's Clinical Equipment Management Program. "He is truly concerned about water conservation. His initiative will help Presbyterian reinvest more resources back into the community."
Holly uses the water from cooking corn or potatoes to water her plants, because it's filled with nutrients. She also puts plastic wrap on the bottom of her fern baskets so that the water doesn't run through, but gets absorbed. She has stopped using the hose to clean off pavement and walkways and collects rain water for garden use.
