News Flash

Water Management and the City Celebrate Fourth Consecutive National Recognition

DURHAM, N.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recognized the City of Durham’s Water Management Department with a 2019 WaterSense Excellence Award for its efforts to defeat water waste and promote WaterSense products during 2018. 

Water Management received one of 25 WaterSense awards yesterday at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference in Las Vegas, Nev. This is the fourth consecutive year that Water Management has achieved this national recognition from the EPA, and the third consecutive award for Excellence in Education and Outreach.  

Since 2006, Water Management and more than 2,000 other WaterSense partners have helped consumers save more than 3.4 trillion gallons of water. That’s enough water to supply all American households for four months. In addition to water savings, WaterSense labeled products and homes have helped reduce the amount of energy needed to heat, pump, and treat water by 462.5 billion kilowatt hours—which is enough to power more than 44.4 million homes for a year—and save $84.2 billion in water and energy bills

“Our partner in North Carolina is helping to transform the market for water-efficient, high-performing products and homes,” said EPA Region 4 Administrator Mary S. Walker. “WaterSense award winners are helping people save water and protect this precious resource for future generations.”

The Water Efficiency team works throughout the year with schools, at events such as CenterFest and Earth Day, and one-on-one with customers to ensure we have an efficient and resilient city. 

"We are excited that Water Management and the Water Efficiency team are being recognized nationally for the fourth year in row. Their innovative outreach activities promote a water efficient ethic throughout Durham, preserving our precious natural resource," said City Manager Tom Bonfield.

Upon receiving the award at the WaterSmart Innovations Conference yesterday, Water Efficiency Manager James Lim shared his pride for the accomplishments of the department’s Water Efficiency team. “Having our program be recognized four times is a testament to the dedication of our team to educating our community about the value of water,” Lim said. “Durham has one of the lowest per capita water usage rates across the state. This is among the many accomplishments that would not be possible without the commitment and enthusiasm of this team and the support from the department.”

For more information about this award and the department’s water conservation and education efforts, visit the department’s webpage or contact Assistant Director of Communication, Regulatory Compliance, Administration and Planning Vicki Westbrook at (919) 560-4381, ext. 35266 or by email. 

About the City of Durham Water Management Department

The Water Management Department is responsible for the operation and maintenance of Durham's water supply, water treatment and water reclamation (wastewater treatment) facilities, collection and distribution systems (including meter reading), and customer billing services. The department has a wide variety of support divisions and programs to maintain the existing infrastructure that provide these integral services, and strives to be a responsible steward of the City’s environmental and physical assets. For information follow @DurhamWater on Twitter and Facebook.