The Florida Governmental Utility Authority (FGUA) and Pasco County Utilities’ collaborative Water Awareness Poster Contest and Community Outreach Program was named ‘Best in Class’ for the 2013 Water Conservation Awards for Excellence. This award, presented by the Florida Section of the American Water Works Assn. (FSAWWA), recognizes innovative and outstanding achievements in water efficiency throughout Florida.
The winning program, which was recognized in the ‘Public Education’ category, had two major components: a water awareness poster contest and community outreach. The poster contest engaged students, teachers and parents directly, while the outreach program extended awareness throughout the entire community.
“This partnership with FGUA allowed Pasco County Utilities to expand its water conservation message far broader than we could by ourselves,” said Bruce Kennedy, assistant county administrator of Pasco County. “The results far exceeded our expectations.”
The program, which began in 2010, features presentations that were given to schools on water production and water and wastewater treatment. Students then voted on the type of process they’d like to learn more about by creating a poster that illustrated the particular process.
Nearly 2,200 entries were submitted and more than $3,700 in sponsor driven goods and services were received.
“The success of this program is truly a testament to how effective organizations can be when they work together for a common purpose,” said FGUA System Manager Robert Sheets. “With continued education in our communities we can ensure that our youth will be informed, educated stewards of the environment.”
