Donnerstag, 09. September | 03:11 Uhr

In an effort to bring attention to current and future water scarcity
issues and the significant challenges facing citizens, corporations and
the global community, US water experts convened in the nation’s capital
this morning at the Intelligent Use of Water Summit: State of The
Union. Led by an impressive panel of representatives from city
and state municipalities and water agencies that excel in implementing
effective landscape water efficiency and conservation programs, the 11th
Intelligent Use of Water Summit focused on providing greater insight
into the water conservation policies and legislation, programs,
initiatives and trends that ultimately steer city and state-wide efforts
to reduce outdoor water waste.

Presented by irrigation leader Rain
Bird, in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution, the water
conservation symposium provided a unique opportunity for thought leaders
to engage in an open-forum discussion about water-management strategies
and successes across the nation.

“It is imperative that we build an understanding among the general
public and with the policy makers that no other resource is going to
have a bigger impact on the future of human health and well-being than
water,” said Rain Bird corporate marketing director Dave Johnson. “It is
through forums such as these that we aim to bring greater awareness to
the importance of creating a sustainable water supply and combine
expertise towards a long-term solution.”

Moderated by Susan McGinnis, veteran journalist and managing
editor/anchor of Clean
Skies News, this morning’s panel featured Paul Goble,
City of Indian Wells (Indian Wells, CA); Karen Guz, San Antonio
Water Conservation Dept. (San Antonio, TX); Elizabeth Hurst,
Inland Empire Utilities Agency (Chino, CA); Karla Wilson,
EcoWorks Unlimited, on behalf of Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri
Dept. of Natural Resources and Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District
(St. Louis, MO); Mark Risse, University of Georgia on behalf of
Conserve Georgia (Atlanta, GA); and Doug Bennett, Southern Nevada
Water Authority (Las Vegas, NV).

“It’s important to realize that conservation is not going to be enough
for most regions. We simply can’t conserve our way out of every water
crisis,” said Mark Risse. “We need to look at improved methods of
collecting and storing the water that we accumulate during the rainy
seasons and moving water to areas that need it. We also need to look at
the areas where we are growing, discouraging growth in areas where there
is not enough water and encouraging growth where there is plenty of
water available to sustain future growth.”

As panelists, each had the opportunity to showcase their water
conservation case study and share their successful strategies and
initiatives on outdoor water conservation with those in attendance as
well as those watching and participating via the free web cast on Rain
Bird’s corporate website and Facebook fan page.

“We are in a persistent drought in southern Nevada with very little
annual rainfall. Our main concern right now is the effect that climate
change will have on the Colorado water shed,” said Doug Bennett. “We
know that the people of southern Nevada will be more resilient to a
potential change in the availability of water if they use the water that
we currently have more efficiently.”

Established in 2004 as a forum to further define the relationship
between water conservation and landscape water use, The Intelligent
Use of Water Summit series presents a view of the current and future
state of water resources through the eyes of water conservation and
environmental experts. Previous summit locations have included:
Pasadena, Calif.; Tucson, Ariz.; Tempe, Ariz.; Madrid, Spain;
Aix-en-Provence, France; and Melbourne, Australia, in March of 2009.

Rain Bird devotes significant resources to its Intelligent Use of Water
public education initiatives, which include: a series of white papers;
public service announcements; membership on the Alliance for Water
Efficiency and the steering committee advising the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) on its WaterSense product labeling program; The
Intelligent Use of Water Summit series; The Intelligent Use of Water
Film Competition; partnerships with nonprofit organizations, including
sponsorship of National Public Gardens Day with the American Public
Gardens Assoc. (APGA) and water management education initiatives with
the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA); development and
support of elementary and middle school curriculums; and The Intelligent
Use of Water Award program recognizing leaders in water conservation.

A replay of The Intelligent Use of Water Summit: State of The Union
is available for viewing on RainBird.com.
For updates on all of Rain Bird’s Intelligent Use of Water initiatives,
become a friend of Rain Bird on Facebook
and follow Rain Bird on Twitter @RainBirdCorp.
ABOUT RAIN BIRD CORPORATION
Based in Azusa, Calif., Rain Bird Corporation is the leading
manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services. Since its
beginnings in 1933, Rain Bird has offered the industry’s broadest range
of irrigation products for farms, golf courses, sports arenas,
commercial developments and homes in more than 130 countries around the
world. Rain Bird has been awarded more than 130 patents, including the
first in 1935 for the impact sprinkler. Rain Bird and The Intelligent
Use of Water is about using water wisely. Its commitment extends beyond
products to education, training and services for the industry and the
community. Rain Bird maintains state-of-the-art manufacturing assembly
facilities in the United States, France, Sweden and Mexico http://www.rainbird.com.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6252064&lang=en