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Other P2 Programs, Initiatives, and Activities

Programs

Water Champions Program

The Water Champions Program is a partnership, service-learning program designed to encourage development of sustainable, local stakeholder driven, service-learning Water Champions Pilot Projects that lead to long-term behavioral changes in local communities. Through collaboration with local and regional agencies and/or organizations (such as Universities, State Agencies, Schools, etc.) the Water Champions Program identifies a Stewardship Facilitator and works with this person to develop a Water Champions Project in a local community. High school age teens, at the direction of the Stewardship Facilitator, develop and implement projects aimed at achieving measurable reductions in local and regional water consumption.

There are four Core Objectives to the “Water Champions” Program:

  1. Build capacity for organizations to inform the community about the importance of water conservation and the existence of cost saving/water reducing technologies, and the WaterSense Program.
  2. Recruit regional and/or local retailers of water consuming technologies to participate in EPA’s WaterSense program.
  3. Gather data on the purchase of water efficient technologies and calculate the reduced volume of water used and cost savings associated with these purchases.
  4. Share project outcomes and look to recruit additional organizations in the area to participate in this service-learning project.

Through a selection process decided on by the Stewardship Facilitator, high school-age teens would be selected to become “Water Champions.” The pool of high school-age teens could be found from a specific high school, a local youth-based organization or some other club, or any other organization where high school-age teens participate. These Water Champions would be tasked with carrying out a local Stewardship Conservation Plan that is developed by the teens with the direction, guidance, and approval of the Stewardship Facilitator.

The goal of the Stewardship Conservation Plan would be to achieve measurable reductions in regional water consumption. The Water Champions would report the data to the Stewardship Facilitator who would, in turn, compile the data and report it to the Stewardship Coordinator Federal Contact at EPA.

The Stewardship Coordinator Federal Contact would work directly with the Stewardship Facilitator, would provide technical program support as needed, and would provide program outreach materials, guidance, and support. The Stewardship Coordinator Federal Contact would also provide feedback to the Stewardship Facilitator as needed, and would be able to provide incentives in the form of: 1) certificates, 2) non-monetary awards, and 3) recognition for the organizations that are participating, the Stewardship Facilitator, and the Water Champions themselves.

As originator and sponsor of the Water Champions Program, EPA Region 2 is soliciting multiple Water Champions Projects across New York, New Jersey and Puerto Rico over the long-term. EPA Region 2 hopes to have a manageable number of these projects up and running into the future. To be eligible to begin a Water Champions Project, the project must be able to satisfy our list of seven Key Project Elements, which includes the four Core Objectives of the Water Champions Program. The program and project designation allows EPA to encourage the formation of a wide variety of projects with a unique local strategy, while maintaining a larger continuity through the requirement that all projects meet the four Core Objectives.

The seven Key Project Elements in every Water Champions Project include:

  1. Build capacity for organizations to inform the community about the importance of water conservation, the existence of cost saving/water reducing technologies, and the WaterSense Program.
  2. Recruit regional/local retailers of water consuming technologies to participate in EPA’s WaterSense program.
  3. Gather data on the purchase of water efficient technologies and calculate the reduced volume of water used and cost savings associated with these purchases.
  4. Share project outcomes and look to recruit additional organizations in the area to participate in this service-learning project.
  5. Establish an effective local leadership mechanism. - There needs to be a strong local leader and supporting institutions to sustain the project. For Example, a watershed ambassador or teacher that can lead the effort while tapping into an effective network of collaborators and supporters of the project.
  6. Foster longevity and sustainability. - There needs to be a commitment to a longer-term effort that can sustain itself. The commitment needs to be long enough to observe changes that lead to implementation of a water conservation strategy and the measurement of results. For example, at least two years of sustained effort to achieve measurable results and not just a one time class room activity to encourage water conservation.
  7. Create an effective coordination mechanism between EPA and the Team. - Establish a steering committee with key stakeholders that meets on a regular basis to initiate an initial scope of work and to discuss the status and results of the project consistent with the original scope of work.

In summary: A Water Champions Service Learning Community Project places the Stewardship Facilitator and Water Champions at the center of a stakeholder driven learning community. The Stewardship Facilitator and Water Champions will engage with numerous civic customers to promote increased capacity for behavioral change that will lead to a more sustainable use of water resources. There will be a wide range of locally determined stakeholders, including the Water Champions themselves, Stewardship Facilitator, citizens (including parents), certain companies, including WaterSense Program partners such as Watersense Promotional Partners (e.g. state, county, not for profits, utilities, and others), WaterSense Retailer/Distributor Partners, WaterSense Manufacturer Partners when useful, and other WaterSense Professional Partners (e.g. Landscaping Professionals, and/or Buidler Partners). It is hoped that through this learning community new attitudes and increased knowledge, skills and capacity will be developed that fosters water conservation and better management of water resources. This should create the conditions that allow for behavior changes, such as smarter purchasing decisions and decentralized wiser water management practices that mimic best practices that lead to water conservation. The long-term outcome for the community would be a more sustainable management of local water resources as might be measured by actual reductions in water usage and cost savings throughout the community.

Initiatives

Tonawanda E3 Sustainability Initiative

The Town of Tonawanda E3 Sustainability Initiative will tailor the E3 projects to meet the environmental, energy and economic needs of the Tonawanda community. In particular, this initiative will develop and maintain a special focus on air quality issues in the initial phases of the projects. The Tonawanda E3 Sustainability Initiative Charter defines and describes the details of the Tonawanda E3 Initiative, including the goals, background, participant capacities and list of potential E3 projects.

Green Marinas Initiative

Marinas and recreational boating are very popular uses of coastal waters. The growth of recreational boating has led to an increased awareness of the need to protect the environmental quality of our waterways. Because marinas are located right at the water's edge, there is a strong potential for marina waters to become contaminated with pollutants generated from the various activities that occur at marinas such as boat cleaning, fueling operations, marine head discharges, or from the entry of stormwater runoff from parking lots and hull maintenance and repair areas into marina basins.

In addition to compliance with state and federal regulations, EPA Region 2 encourages marina owners, yacht clubs, boatyards and boaters to adopt Best Management Practices for Marinas (Spanish verison- Best Management Practices for Marinas) and consider using environmentally friendly purchasing, such as the selection of Appropriate Boat Hull Coatings Exit EPA disclaimer, to reduce adverse impacts to water quality and living resources in proximity to marinas.

For more information about this topic please visit: Marinas and Small Boat Harbors Topic Hub™ Exit EPA disclaimer, developed by the Northeast Waste Management Officials' Association

Rebuild with ENERGY STAR & WaterSense Initiative

Rebuilding an estimated 377,000 damaged or destroyed homes, businesses, and buildings in New York and New Jersey (1, 2) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) ENERGY STAR and WaterSense Programs is an opportunity to invest in the future and address Climate Change by integrating energy and water efficiency into the rebuilding process. People who make these investments can save money on future electric and water utility bills, improve system reliability by reducing the electric load on utility grids, and help ensure reliable water supplies today and for future generations.

For more information about this topic please visit our Rebuild with ENERGY STAR & WaterSense page.

References

1:  Governor Cuomo's estimates of home units destroyed:
http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/20960/20121127/cuomo-seeks-41-billion-from-us-gov-for-sandy-rebuilding

2: Governor Christie's estimates of business and home destruction/damage:
http://newyork.newsday.com/news/region-state/gov-christie-seeks-37b-in-federal-aid-for-sandy-damage-1.4269992

 

Activities

Webinars

Schools K-12 Energy Efficiency/PCB Training Webinars

 

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