CONSERVE WATER GEORGIA
WATERSENSE
2009
PARTNER OF THE YEAR
AWARDS
2009 Promotional Partner of the Year (Large Utility):
Cobb County Water System
Cobb County Water System has taken a leading role in promoting WaterSense and water efficiency to its 650,000 customers.
Cobb County masterminded a toilet rebate program with the potential to save 13 million gallons of water annually. In 2008, Cobb County rebated more than 1,650 WaterSense labeled toilets, at $100 per toilet. The program’s success inspired many of the largest utilities in the 16 county Metro North Georgia Water Planning District to adopt Cobb County’s rebate model.
Cobb County brought together Lowe’s, The Home Depot, Ferguson, Kohler, and other local partners to leverage a statewide sales tax holiday weekend in October 2008. Coordinating closely with these organizations, Cobb County ensured that rebates were widely promoted and that labeled products were stocked on retailers’ shelves. The results speak for themselves: Cobb County saw a 400 percent increase in WaterSense labeled toilet purchases over any comparable timeframe!
2009 Retailer/Distributor Partner of the Year:
Lowe's Companies, Inc.
During sales tax-free events for WaterSense labeled products, in Georgia, Lowe’s joined forces with EPA and other key partners and provided important promotional support. Sales staff learned how to help customers identify WaterSense labeled products covered by the tax-free events and explain their benefits. Shoppers at these events learned about water and energy saving tips and products and received a special discount for various WaterSense labeled products that Lowe’s helped negotiate with Kohler, American Standard, and Jacuzzi.
After becoming a WaterSense partner in 2008, Lowe’s shifted its marketing strategy from focusing on energy efficiency to the broader “efficient home,” emphasizing the nexus between saving water and saving energy. From the Lowe’s Efficient Home Web site to a bilingual Efficient Home Guide, Lowe’s has highlighted WaterSense inside its stores and in its stores’ communities.
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