MINNEAPOLIS, MN – Water efficiency is the “blue wave of the future,” according to one of the EPA’s top officials, who addressed members of the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association in Minneapolis on Jan. 3rd.

EPA "Water Czar" Ben Grumbles says WaterSense a big step in U.S. water conservation effort.

Benjamin H. Grumbles, who serves as the nation’s “water czar” as assistant administrator for the Office of Water at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, spoke at the MNLA Legislative Luncheon during the Minnesota Green Expo, a 1,000-booth trade show and educational conference attended by more than 8,000 green industry professionals.  The Green Expo is sponsored by the Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association and the Minnesota Turf & Grounds Foundation.

Grumbles described WaterSense, the new government-private industry conservation partnership similar to the successful EnergyStar program.

“WaterSense will be the marquis public-private partnership in promoting water efficiency,” Grumbles said.  In the landscape industry and related sectors, WaterSense will certify water conservation products such as weather-based irrigation controllers and moisture sensors.  To obtain the WaterSense designation, products will need to show at least a 20% water savings over similar products.

Grumbles said WaterSense will go a step beyond EnergyStar by certifying not only products that are water-efficient, but also identifying water conservation-minded professionals who have obtained EPA-endorsed levels of certification.  It is expected that the Irrigation Association’s Certified Irrigation Contractor, Certified Irrigation Designer, Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor, and Certified Golf Irrigation Auditor designations will qualify as WaterSense programs.

The EPA veteran praised the nursery and landscape industry for its work on water quality issues.  “Managing stormwater runoff is one of the greatest challenges we have in our country today.  You are uniquely positioned to make a difference in educating consumers and in your efforts to make a living implementing good tree, turf and landscape practices.

“Often the best management practice on stormwater runoff is to plant a tree.  More and more we are realizing the importance of trees and green space to help us meet the requirements of the Clean Water Act,” Grumbles said.

The Minnesota Nursery & Landscape Association represents more than 1,500 green industry companies in the north central region.  The state’s nursery, greenhouse, landscape and irrigation industry includes more than 3,000 family-owned businesses and generates annual sales in excess of $2.1 billion.

MNLA is a state affiliate of the Irrigation Association (IA), an international organization uniting irrigation equipment manufacturers; distributors and dealers; irrigation system designers, contractors, educators, researchers, and technicians from the public and private sectors. The IA promotes modern water management skills and techniques for irrigated agriculture, turf, landscape and golf.