E.P.A. Acknowledges Massachusetts Leader for Water Efficiency

(Boston, Massachusetts - October 26, 2009) E.P.A. has acknowledged a Pepperell man for his irrigation work with a national award for "extraordinary" water conservation efforts.

Brian Vinchesi was nationally acknowledged as one of 5 E.P.A. 2009 WaterSense Partner's of the Year. These winners were chosen from 1,000 WaterSense partners who signed on to EPA's water conservation plan and helped Americans save 9.3 billion gallons of water in 2008.

Vinchesi, president of Irrigation Consulting, Incorporated and a certified irrigation professional, has made the WaterSense plan a part of his staff training. Employees must finish at least one WaterSense certification plan and 7 of his staff members are Watersense partners. His company strives for designs that achieve a minimum of 80 percent efficiency and follow national green building plan principles.

"Individuals like Mr. Vinchesi help us conserve water and save money," said Ira Leighton, acting regional administrator for EPA's New England office. "By using and promoting products that have the WaterSense label and taking other steps to conserve water, WaterSense partners help save water, energy and money on utility bills."

"I promote water efficiency, and the WaterSense plan is essential to being water efficient in all aspects of water use, not just irrigation," said Vinchesi.

Chairman of the Irrigation Association Education Foundation, Vinchesi has 25 years experience sharing his irrigation expertise. In 2008, while lecturing at teaching, he focused on water efficiency and sustainable irrigation systems. He has also contributed articles and columns to trade publications on water efficient irrigation systems.

EPA's WaterSense is a partnership plan that helps Americans save water and protect the environment by labeling products that help conserve. Labeled products are backed by independent testing and certification. WaterSense partners work with E.P.A. in its effort to expand the reach of the WaterSense program.

The WaterSense label appeared 1st on professional certification programs for landscape irrigation professionals. These WaterSense labeled programs verify professional proficiency in water-efficient irrigation system design, installation/maintenance and auditing. The plan allows homeowners to ask for professionals who partner with the WaterSense program.

Others acknowledged for their extraordinary efforts promoting WaterSense in 2009 were:

• Promotional Partners of the Year: James City Service Authority, Williamsburg, Va. (small utility): City Service Authority helped consumers in coastal Virginia save water and money through collaboration with local citizen coalitions to encourage local plumbers and retailers to provide discounts on the sale and installation of WaterSense labeled toilets in addition to offering rebates on WaterSense labeled products.
• Cobb Co. Water System, Marietta, Ga. (large utility): This system worked with Kohler, Lowe's and other WaterSense partners to promote the state of Georgia's 1st sales tax holiday on WaterSense labeled products.
• Manufacturer Partner of the Year: Kohler Co., Kohler, Wis.: Kohler earned the WaterSense label on 40 percent of its faucets and 25 percent of its toilets. The company used mobile restrooms to showcase these products at events nationwide
• Retailer Partner of the Year: Lowe's Companies, Inc., Mooresville, N.C.: Lowe's, one of the biggest home improvement retailers in North America, trained in excess of 200,000 employees to promote WaterSense to customers at 1,650 stores and has demonstrated that increasing the percentage of WaterSense labeled products they sell is a top priority.

More information on WaterSense and the Partner of the Year award winners: http://www.epa.gov/watersense

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