Aqua America gets consumers Water Smart

February 7, 2014 | By Barbara Vergetis Lundin

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that the U.S. population has doubled over the last 30 years, and the demand for drinking water has tripled during this time. Aqua America, Inc., one of the largest publicly-traded water utilities in the nation, has launched WaterSmart, an interactive program to help consumers conserve water in their homes and learn about the water treatment process.

Click to enlarge image. Credit: Aqua America

"…more than half of our country is facing water shortages," said Aqua Chairman and CEO Nicholas DeBenedictis. "At Aqua, we recognize the importance of proactive conservation to protect this important resource and remain committed to bringing clean, safe drinking water to our customers for the cost of about a penny a gallon."

The interactive program is presented as an illustration of a home, with clickable elements in each room that provide tips for water conservation that align with everyday activities, such as cleaning, gardening and personal care. Another component focuses on education on how water travels from a source to the tap, with downloadable diagrams that explain the processes to treat surface water, groundwater, and wastewater.

"Most people turn on their tap water every day without realizing how source water is treated and then delivered to their home," said Karl Kyriss, executive vice president of Aqua's information technology department. "We created this resource to help educate consumers about the entire process, which further supports our focus on conservation. By conserving water use in day-to-day activities, we save water and energy, reducing our total environmental impact."

To supplement the interactive, web-based program, WaterSmart includes downloadable PDFs with conservation tips and diagrams about water treatment for printing and distribution and additional direct links for sharing Aqua's tools on social media accounts and by email. The program is available as a mobile app on tablets and smartphones.

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