GLENDORA, CA, June 12, 2006 -- Rain Bird Corp., a leading manufacturer and provider of irrigation products and services joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today at a press conference in San Antonio, TX, to support the unveiling of WaterSense, the EPA's Water Efficiency Program to build a national brand for water efficiency and educate American consumers on making smart water choices that save money and maintain high environmental standards without compromising performance. In a press conference held in conjunction with the start of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Annual Conference and Exposition, the EPA outlined its new water efficiency program and recognized the industry partners that have already taken the lead in committing their efforts to water efficiency through product innovation and education.
"The EPA's program goes hand-in-hand with many of the initiatives that Rain Bird has been implementing under our corporate philosophy of The Intelligent Use of Water™ which is aimed at educating the industry and public on the need for landscape water conservation," said Rain Bird's corporate marketing director Dave Johnson. "Rain Bird immediately recognized the value and importance of the EPA's program in helping to communicate the importance of water conservation and motivating consumers to use water in the most efficient manner possible by making it easy to identify the best water-conserving irrigation products and services on the market."
The EPA's WaterSense program will raise awareness about the importance of water efficiency, ensure the performance of water-efficient products and provide consumers with information that will enable them to make an informed decision when choosing water-efficient products and services. The WaterSense brand label will be easily identifiable by consumers on products and services that perform at least 20 percent more efficiently than their less efficient counterparts and enable manufacturers to certify their products as meeting EPA criteria for water efficiency and performance by following specific testing and verification protocols specific to each product category.
In addition to the product focus, the EPA's program will work in conjunction with Rain Bird and its industry partners to reach out to homebuilders, schools, landscaping professionals and others to promote water efficiency through the WaterSense labeled certification programs, enabling landscape professionals to certify their understanding of water efficiency and proper irrigation system design, installation and maintenance, and/or system auditing. It is an initiative that Rain Bird has already begun to lay the groundwork for over the past few years through its "Intelligent Use of Water" public education campaigns which include the release of leading industry white papers; convening several global industry summits and symposiums to examine global conservation efforts and strategies; releasing public service announcements; establishing several non-profit partnerships; developing and supporting elementary and middle school curriculums; and participation in the Tournament of Roses Parade, an annual worldwide stage to communicate the need for water conservation.
"Rain Bird recognizes the responsibility that we all bear in educating others on the severity of global water shortage problems and the solutions offered through efficient irrigation technologies and practices," added Johnson. "The irrigation industry has a duty to continue developing efficient means of applying water, and as the global leader in this industry, we are excited to work with the EPA and have the opportunity to apply our seven decades of irrigation expertise in support of a program that shares our common objective of creating awareness of the need to conserve our most precious natural resource."
Based in Glendora, Calif., Rain Bird Corp. (www.rainbird.com) 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.
Also see: "New EPA WaterSense program saves dollars and makes sense"
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