Cobb Water System receives Excellence Award from EPA

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Posted By: Larry Felton Johnson October 11, 2022

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency presented the Cobb County Water System with a 2022 WaterSense Sustained Excellence Award for the fifth consecutive year.

Three of the 12 winners were districts in Georgia. In addition to Cobb County Water System, other winners included Athens-Clarke County (Georgia) Public Utilities Department Water Conservation Office and the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District.

The award was presented on October 6 during the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition in Las Vegas.

The EPA recognized Cobb Water for the following things (quoted from the county’s news release):

  • Promoting Fix a Leak Week by creating an instructional video with a 10-minute challenge on how to find and fix silent leaks. CCWS shared the video with over 100 community members during the Wonder of Water Weekend at a local park, gave away WaterSense-labeled showerheads, and demonstrated how to replace them;
  • Launching a new program and training 37 Cobb County resident volunteers on water conservation to help educate consumers during community events;
  • Tracking multifamily buildings with high water use and promoting the commercial toilet rebate program to properties built before 1993 – offering a $50 credit on the building’s water bill for replacing up to 100 older toilets with WaterSense labeled models;
  •  Continuing its program to offer residents a free indoor water savings kit, complete with faucet aerators and a showerhead; and
  •  Sponsoring a coloring book contest, inviting fourth and fifth graders to draw its mascot Tappy Turtle saving and protecting water.

About the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition

The WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition was founded by the Southern Nevada Water Authority, According to event organizers over 700 people attended this year.

The conference materials described the event as follows:

“Water utilities and systems are increasingly challenged by climate change, emerging contaminants, evolving regulations, aging infrastructure, conservation needs, and much more.

“New technologies are being invented, new strategies and programs are being developed, new ways to engage customers are arising, and new models for managing and governing systems for drinking water and wastewater are being explored.

“At WSI this year, technical sessions will cover everything from advancing the adoption of efficient products, to alternate water supplies, to marketing and outreach and much more.”

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