By Rich Anderson
January 31, 2011

Napa (CA) and Sandy City (UT) received the 2011 U.S. Conference of Mayors Water Conservation Achievement Award on January 19 during the Conference of Mayors 79th Winter Meeting. Conference of Mayors President Burnsville (MN) Mayor Elizabeth B. Kautz presided over the award ceremony where more than 230 of the nation's mayors convened at the Capital Hilton in Washington (DC).

Kautz stated that 54 member cities competed for the award. A panel of three independent judges, comprised of former EPA Assistant Administrator's for the Office of Water, and a Chief Hydrologist currently with the U.S. Geologic Survey, reviewed the city water conservation programs on their merits: actual gallons conserved per capita; innovative water management practices; and, identification of multiple benefits (e.g., cost'savings, energy use reduction, decreased greenhouse gas emissions, etc.). Previous research conducted by the Conference of Mayors indicates that as many as 35 percent of the nation's principal cities will face water shortages in 2015 and 2025.

Since 2005, the Conference of Mayors has actively promoted water conservation. Kautz stated that the City Water Conservation Achievement Award "…is intended to show our support for the wonderful efforts our member cities are undertaking to save water — one of our most precious resources." To promote city water conservation the winning cities each received a $10,000 cash award.

Accepting the award on behalf of Napa (CA) was Mayor Jill Techel. Napa's water conservation program is based on local policy that no new water would be imported to augment their current water supply. The city requires new development to find water supply through water savings or conservation; and they established a system of incentives and disincentives to reach the goal. Napa achieved a reduction in water consumption of 33 gallons per capita per day. Techel stated, "Napa is honored to receive the Water Conservation Award from the U.S. Mayors Council and Siemens. It means a lot to the local community when they can see their daily efforts really count and the award of $10,000 will help us find more incentives to continue the work."

Shane Pace, Public Utilities Director of Sandy City (UT), accepted the award for Mayor Tom Dolan. Sandy City adopted a multi-faceted program including establishing ‘true-cost-pricing'. The city consistently achieved conservation levels over several years, and sustained annual reductions in excess of the national average. Sandy City achieved water use reductions of 35 gallons per capita per day; and an overall 27 percent reduction in water consumption in one year. Dolan passed on the following statement: "We, at Sandy City, are grateful to The U.S. Conference of Mayors and Siemens Corporation for their recognition of our conservation efforts. Most of the recognition should go to our residents and businesses who have made great strides over the last ten years to minimize the waste of water in our community."

The Conference of Mayors Water Conservation Achievement Awards program was sponsored by Siemens, an electrical engineering and leading solutions and service provider for industry and infrastructure. Siemens Water Technologies is a leading provider of water and wastewater treatment systems and services for cities and industry worldwide.

According Siemens Water Technologies CEO Lukas Loeffler, water availability and quality is critical to the health of our communities, their continued economic growth and the future of our cities. "In just two years [2013], the U.S. government estimates that 36 states will face water shortages," emphasized Loeffler. "We wanted to sponsor these awards to encourage greater awareness of water challenges cities face today like aging infrastructure, which presents significant health risks and financial challenges for cities large and small. We are no longer able to defer these infrastructure problems to future generations."