2007 Annual Report on the Water-Wise Program - Tampa Bay Water

7
Annual
Report
on the

Water-Wise
Program
and Awards
Sponsored by

1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Water-Wise Awards program was created by Tampa Bay Water, the Florida Yards &
Neighborhoods (FYN) program, and member governments, including Hillsborough,
Pasco and Pinellas counties as well as the cities of New Port Richey, St. Petersburg and
Tampa. The Water-Wise Awards program is designed to recognize attractive, water-
conserving landscapes in various water-use sectors (e.g., homes, businesses, industry and
government) as well as interior features in new homes. The program also serves as a
vehicle to promote water-use efficiency to the general public.

The overall program consists of three unique segments—the Water-Wise Builders
program, the Aurora Water-Wise Awards program, and the Community Water-Wise
Awards program.

WATER-WISE BUILDER PROGRAM

The Water-Wise Builder program focuses primarily on working with and through the two
builders associations in the Tampa Bay region to reach their constituents with water
efficiency information and to promote the use of this information in their new home
marketing programs.

The objective of the Water-Wise Builder program is to demonstrate that water-efficient
building and landscape features provide an effective marketing edge in an increasingly
competitive industry. This initiative also creates a benchmarking opportunity to evaluate
water-use differences between conventionally built new homes and new homes that
incorporate water-wise features.

Major changes to the Water-Wise Builder program in 2007 included:

Participating in the Tampa Bay Builders Association (TBBA) Showcase
Spectacular Green Corner to highlight benefits of building water-wise homes and
promote the Community Water-Wise Awards to local builders
Partnering with the St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) to
refine and promote the Florida Water Star program
Working with the TBBA to provide water-use efficiency guidelines for its Green
Building Made Simple course
Participating in the Southeast Builders Conference (SEBC) Annual Expo

AURORA AWARDS

The Aurora Water-Wise Awards program is sponsored annually through the Florida
Homebuilders Association (FHBA) and is open to builders across the state. The FHBA
presents the Aurora Awards following the SEBC tradeshow held in Orlando each
summer. It is generally considered to be the most prestigious competition for home
builders in the southeastern United States. The Aurora Water-Wise Awards are open to
all builders, but the majority of entrants are custom, upscale home builders. The prestige

1

of winning an Aurora Award provides a powerful marketing tool for such upscale
builders in a highly competitive building niche.

As part of Tampa Bay Water’s sponsorship of the Aurora Award Gala, the FHBA
promoted the Aurora Water-Wise Awards category to its members. Additionally, water-
wise home building was featured in a special section on green building in Florida
HomeBuilder Magazine in the month prior to the entry deadline. The promotion efforts
resulted in the submission of three entries in the Water-Wise category.

In evaluating all entries, the FYN program coordinators worked extensively to ensure that
landscape and irrigation efficiency standards were correctly applied. This year, the
Aurora Water-Wise Award was presented to Florida Look, Inc. for the Villa Danubio
model at The Lakes of Deland in Deland, Florida.

There were no major changes to the Aurora Water-Wise Awards program in 2007.

COMMUNITY WATER-WISE AWARDS

The Community Water-Wise Awards program recognizes homeowners, builders, multi-
family complexes, industrial office complexes, government buildings, schools, businesses
and others that have employed water-wise landscaping techniques in the design of an
attractive landscape. In 2007, 30 entries were received and nine Community Water-Wise
Awards were presented throughout the region. Entries ranged from landscapes that
consisted of mostly Florida-friendly plants with little turfgrass, to landscapes having
practical turfgrass areas with water-wise landscape beds.

The awards program was promoted for three months to increase awareness and solicit
entries. This year, the program promotion started in February and built up to an
integrated advertising, marketing and public relations campaign in April, which
continued through May until the May 31 deadline.

Judging committees in each county, based on FYN boundaries, included staff from
Tampa Bay Water, the FYN program, and member government representatives. As in
years past, entrants were evaluated and rated on an objective point system for water-
conserving features.

Major changes to the Community Water-Wise Awards program in 2007 included:

Extending the entry deadline from May 15 to May 31
Creating a new call-for-entries ad concept to more clearly focus on the necessary
qualities of a water-wise landscape
Developing door hangers for member governments to distribute Community
Water-Wise Awards information and applications to potential water-wise
landscapes
Building a stand-alone Web site with more landscaping information and increased
application functionality

2

Partnering with professional associations, including the Florida Nursery, Growers
and Landscape Association (FNGLA), and the Florida Irrigation Society (FIS) to
reach more potential water-wise homes and businesses
Appealing to local landscaping businesses and contractors to nominate customers
with potential water-wise landscapes
Scrubbing, refining and supplementing distribution lists for the application
mailing

PROGRAM SUMMARY

These program modules advanced the conservation goals of Tampa Bay Water by
continuing the agency’s ongoing partnership with key segments of the community,
including home builders and residents, business owners, government workers, gardening
enthusiasts and landscape professionals. The program also provided coordination
between Tampa Bay Water, its member governments and the Florida Yards &
Neighborhoods program in the three counties within the region. Additionally, the Water-
Wise Awards program created opportunities for water-use benchmarking, which is useful
for a variety of projects, including its application toward the development of consistent
statewide water efficiency guidelines for new homes.

This report provides highlights and summaries from each of the three program segments
in 2007 as well as recommendations for program implementation in 2008. Program
refinement and improvement continues based on information and recommendations
presented in this annual report.

3

2.0 WATER-WISE BUILDER PROGRAM

History

The Water-Wise Awards program was established in 1997 following a successful 1996
partnership between Tampa Bay Water (formerly the West Coast Regional Water Supply
Authority), the Hillsborough County Extension Service and the TBBA. This partnership
resulted in a showcase home that featured the principles of water-conserving,
environmentally friendly landscaping. The home was well received by home builders
and potential home buyers, and it garnered extensive media coverage.

This success led Tampa Bay Water’s Conservation Coordination Consortium to search
for new ways to expand on the partnership with the home building industry. Through
additional cooperative efforts, the program was expanded in 1998 to include the Pasco
Builders Association in addition to the TBBA. Both of these builders associations are
located within Tampa Bay Water’s wholesale service area. Since then, Tampa Bay
Water and the FYN program have worked closely with these two associations, as well as
the FHBA, to advance the program’s reach and impact.

In 2006, the TBBA received a grant from Tampa Bay Water for the installation of an
attractive, water-efficient landscape for the Parade of Homes Showcase Home built by
Nohl Crest. This outlet provided high visibility for the program and highlighted the fact
that water-wise landscaping can be attractive and lush. As a result, Nohl Crest Homes
became the first local home builder to landscape all of its new homes to a standard that
would qualify the house for a Community Water-Wise Award and meet or exceed the
Florida Green Building Coalition standards for landscape and irrigation.

Builder Outreach

Generating interest from builders has been a key issue since the Water-Wise Awards
program was first created in 1997. Tampa Bay Water, its consultant and the home
builder association staff have worked together to raise awareness among the builders
since the program’s inception. In 2007, these efforts were augmented by the creation of
collateral materials highlighting the marketing advantages of water-wise homes as well as
water-use efficiency design building specifications, which were distributed during the
TBBA Showcase Spectacular and other area builder events.

While presenting the Water-Wise Awards as part of the Parade of Homes events offers
significant advantages in terms of turnkey awards presentations, with high levels of
interest from builders wanting to participate in the Parade, it is still difficult to reach
builders due to their focus on short-term sales and marketing. In 2007, as in previous
years, a builder segment was included in the Community Water-Wise Awards,
eliminating the need for additional marketing, scoring and award presentation of a unique
award segment for builders. As a result of historically low response rates from builders,
incorporating a builder segment into the existing community award program proved to be
the most efficient method of creating an award opportunity for interested builders.

4

In 2007, the Water-Wise Builder program evolved to include participation in two builder
tradeshows—the TBBA Showcase Spectacular and the SEBC Expo. This created the
opportunity to establish one-on-one contact directly with builders, allowing greater
interaction and the ability to focus on each builder’s questions and unique needs.

Builder Tradeshows – Tampa Bay Builders Association Showcase Spectacular
The TBBA Showcase Spectacular was held on Thursday, March 22, 2007 at the A La
Carte Pavilion in Tampa. This was the first year that the TBBA created a separate
section for “green” exhibitors, and the Water-Wise Builder program was represented in
the “Green Corner” of the expo, along with other green building exhibitors.
Unfortunately, because the Green Corner was held in a different exhibit hall than the
main show, there was low traffic flow at the booth. FYN program directors staffed the
exhibit booth where the Community Water Wise Awards were promoted along with a list
of contacts and resources available in the region.

Builder Tradeshows – Southeast Builders Conference Annual Expo
The SEBC annual expo was held in Orlando at the Orange County Convention Center
from Thursday, July 12 through Saturday, July 14, 2007. Through the Water-Wise
Builder program, Tampa Bay Water partnered with the SJRWMD’s Florida Water Star
Program to create a shared exhibit at the expo. Both organizations contributed to the
planning, development, construction and staffing of the booth, which featured a mock
water-wise landscape, sample irrigation systems, two graphic displays and a high-
efficiency toilet (HET).

Like the TBBA, the SEBC created a special section to house all of the green exhibitors.
However, unlike the TBBA event, the SEBC located the green section within the main
exhibit hall, and they thoroughly promoted the green section both prior to and during the
expo. This resulted in a high volume of traffic to the booth and the opportunity to discuss
the issues pertaining to water-wise building with a number of interested builders from
Florida and across the southeast.

Various informational materials were created and distributed at the SEBC booth. The
materials created by Tampa Bay Water included builder specs for water-use design
efficiency, a sample water-wise landscape plan and a list of certified HETs.

Builders Water-Wise Program Recommendations

The following are recommendations for the 2008 Builders Water-Wise Awards program.

Moving forward, it is recommended that the Builders Water-Wise Program not be
a stand-alone module since numerous other organizations already focus on
promoting water-wise principles to builders.
The Community Water Wise Awards should continue to be open to builders as an
award element.

5

AURORA WATER-WISE AWARDS

History

In 1998, Tampa Bay Water approached the Florida Home Builders Association to
develop requirements for the Aurora Water-Wise Awards program (Aurora Awards) for
water conservation. Statewide awards, like those offered by electric utilities, were
typically valued at $10,000 and sponsored by multiple agencies. The FHBA, however,
agreed to offer an award sponsorship to Tampa Bay Water for a $5,000 sponsorship fee.
This fee covers all advertising, promotional and related expenses, including a four-color
call for entries.

Historically, the program has successfully garnered numerous entries that are excellent
examples of water-use efficiency and high-end design. As a condition of Tampa Bay
Water’s sponsorship of the Aurora Awards, the FHBA promotes the water-wise award
segment to its builders. E-mails, direct mailings and Web marketing are typically used to
create awareness of the Aurora Awards among builders across the state.

Each year, applications are accepted from builders throughout the state. Since applicants
pay an entry fee for the Aurora Awards, the quality of the water conserving features in
these homes is generally quite high. Additionally, many custom home builders are not
limited by small landscape and irrigation budgets, and they often are able to employ the
latest water conservation technology available.

Overview

After more than 25 years, the nationally recognized Aurora Awards program remains the
premiere event held by the SEBC. The program honors builders, designers, architects
and other home-building industry professionals from Texas to Virginia. The Aurora
Award is designed to symbolize tremendous achievement, honor and distinction among
building industry professionals for their creative achievements in architectural design,
interior detailing and land-use planning for residential, commercial and industrial
projects. For the water-wise segment, only Florida builders are eligible. Multiple Aurora
Awards may be awarded if numerous builders meet the criteria. Additionally, a Grand
Aurora Award is provided if there is an entry that significantly exceeds the criteria for the
Aurora.

The Aurora Awards program is not a marketing competition. Although relevance to the
marketplace is considered, aesthetic merit, innovation and effectiveness in design and
planning are the key criteria. The Aurora Awards program differs from the builder
segment of the Community Water-Wise Awards in that it is open to all FHBA member
home builders statewide. The builder segment of the Community Water-Wise Awards is
open only to builders within the Tampa Bay Water member government service areas.
Additionally, there is a significant entry fee for the Aurora Awards program.

Many outstanding builders, particularly small firms or those specializing in custom
homes, focus on the Aurora Awards program due to its attention to detail and lack of

6

specific requirement or timing for model home construction. The Aurora Awards focus
on homes that have been created as models in a development or for a private residence.
A separate entry fee is required for each category the builders enter in the Water-Wise
Awards.

The FHBA presents the Aurora Awards annually at a formal banquet during the SEBC
held in Orlando each summer. In an effort to promote water-efficient building techniques
among high-end builders, Tampa Bay Water has sponsored the Aurora Awards program.
As part of the sponsorship, Tampa Bay Water and members of the Conservation
Coordination Consortium created consistent, quantifiable judging criteria to evaluate
Aurora Awards entrants. A team of Conservation Coordination Consortium members,
led by Tampa Bay Water, created the criteria that can be used to evaluate the homes
independently to determine eligibility for an Aurora Award.

In 2007, as part of Tampa Bay Water’s sponsorship of the Aurora Awards, the FHBA
promoted the Aurora Award among its members. This year, only three entries were
submitted for the Aurora Award. While this number is lower than in previous years, it
mirrors an overall decline in Aurora Award entries across all categories. FHBA officials
point to the current slump in the housing market and correspondingly low rates of new
homes being built as the primary cause of the decline in entries. Since the Aurora
Awards only recognize new homes, the number of entries should be expected to generally
reflect the new home market.

In 2007, there were three complete, valid entries for the Aurora Awards. These homes
were built in Sarasota (1), Orlando (1) and Deland (1).

Of the three entries received, one received more than the minimum points necessary to be
eligible for an Aurora Award. The ninth annual Aurora Award for a water-efficient home
was presented to Florida Look, Inc. for the Villa Danuibo model at the Lakes of Deland
in Deland, Florida (see appendix A).

Judging Process

The judging committee for the Aurora Awards is comprised of representatives from the
Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program, member governments and Tampa Bay Water.

The 2007 Aurora Award judging committee consisted of the following individuals:
Chris Claus, City of St. Petersburg Water Resources Department
Dale Armstrong, Pinellas County Florida Yards & Neighborhoods
Dave Bracciano, Tampa Bay Water
Angela Polo Maraj, Sarasota County Florida Yards & Neighborhoods
Teresa Watkins, Sarasota County Florida Yards & Neighborhoods
Deborah Green, Water Authority of Volusia County

On-site judging of the entries took place in June. The judges evaluated each home based
on standardized criteria developed specifically for the Aurora Awards (see appendix B).
These criteria were designed to optimize objectivity with the major focus on discretionary

7

water use inside and outside the home. As defined in the criteria, the majority of points
are available in the landscape and irrigation system design and installation. Points are
generally not available for elements required by local, state or national codes—only for
those that have no requirements or exceed them

Aurora Awards Outreach and Program Promotion

FHBA staff developed application materials for the entire Aurora Awards application
program. These materials are distributed to builders through Web links and promotional
mailings. Tampa Bay Water’s consultant worked with the FHBA to develop electronic
marketing initiatives sent to all builders on the FHBA mailing list. This marketing piece
provided builders with pertinent information about the Water-Wise award category,
encouraging a focus on water-use efficiency in design and installation practices.

Awards Presentation

The Aurora Awards were presented at a gala during the largest event in the Florida home
building industry—the SEBC annual expo. More than 500 builders from the southeastern
United States attended the Aurora Awards event, which was the culmination of a
weeklong conference coordinated by the FHBA.

In 2007, the FHBA played a 60-second promotional spot for Tampa Bay Water during
the awards gala as part of the sponsorship agreement. The video spot focuses on Tampa
Bay Water’s mission to provide a sustainable water supply to the Tampa Bay region in an
environmentally sensitive manner (see appendix C).

Aurora Awards Recommendations

The following are recommendations for the 2008 Aurora Awards program.

Work with FHBA to ensure the Aurora Awards program is incorporated as part of
the “Green Award” segment
Promote the winning properties heavily as examples of water-use efficiency after
the award(s) is presented
Include Aurora Award winners on the TampaBayWaterWise.com Web site

8

COMMUNITY WATER-WISE AWARDS

History

The Water-Wise Awards program was expanded in 1999 to include entries from current
homeowners in Tampa Bay Water’s tri-county service area (Hillsborough, Pasco and
Pinellas counties, and the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg and New Port Richey). The
initial impetus for the expansion was a comment from the City of St. Petersburg’s water
conservation representative noting that none of the Parade of Homes entries were in the
city of St. Petersburg. The City suggested that a community award be included as part of
its Homecoming Parade of Neighborhoods, which would be expanded to include a tour of
the water-wise landscapes. This would allow existing communities the opportunity to
showcase water-conserving landscapes.

Because of changes incorporated into St. Petersburg’s water conservation program, the
tour of water-wise landscapes was not included in its Homecoming event. Instead, a
Water-Wise Award was presented by the Mayor in 1999 as part of the Mayor’s City
Beautiful Awards presentation in October.

The Community Water-Wise Awards program was created in 1999 to recognize
landscapes that are attractive and water-efficient. The program considers landscapes and
their associated irrigation systems in awarding points. The actual landscape maintenance
and management practices are not evaluated in the process. This is due to potential
liability and coordination issues.

In 2000, the Community Water-Wise Awards program was expanded to include not only
single-family residences, but also multi-family residences and office complexes. In 2002,
the program again expanded to include government buildings, schools, builders,
developers and others.

In the past, the kickoff for the program was historically held in conjunction with Earth
Day events in April. This allowed for the Community Water-Wise Awards brochure to
be mailed early in the summer with advertisements placed at the end of July. The
historical entry deadline for applications was set on August 31 annually. In 2006, the
program timeline was readjusted, changing the entry deadline to the spring. The program
kickoff was then in January, with supplemental mailing of the entry brochures taking
place on February 19 and 20. This change was made so the program coincided with the
spring planting season, when many residents make landscape improvements.

In 2007, the spring deadline was extended from the middle of May to the end of May to
allow for promotion during the numerous landscaping and gardening events taking place
during the month. Under the revised timeline, the deadline for entries was moved to May
31. The main advertising and publicity push for the program took place during the last
week of April and the first two weeks of May 2007.

9

This segment of the awards program is differentiated by the involvement of the Florida
Yards & Neighborhoods programs and member governments. These groups are actively
involved in development of communications materials and award promotion to
customers, master gardeners and certified yard groups/participants. The program is also
promoted as part of each utility’s conservation efforts through billing, newsletters, Web
sites and various other promotions.

Outreach

Information/Application Brochure
In 2007, direct mail distribution of the application brochure continued to be the primary
outreach activity for the Community Water-Wise Awards program. This mailing is a
large, direct marketing tactic, reaching approximately 3,000 households in Tampa Bay
Water’s tri-county wholesale service region. The brochure is reviewed annually by a
committee to ensure scoring consistency and to correct any field evaluation issues. Each
year the revised brochure is reprinted for distribution (see appendix D).

Because the primary FYN mailing lists used have not changed significantly over the past
several years, a major effort was undertaken in 2007 to update the lists of recipients by
removing names that appeared on the list for three or more consecutive years.
Additionally, efforts were made to supplement FYN mailing lists with additional
potential water-wise homes and businesses. Through partnerships with the local chapters
of the FNGLA and FIS, Tampa Bay Water reached out to landscape and irrigation
professionals and local nurseries to promote the Community Water-Wise Awards
program.

Brochures were mailed by Roberts Communications to a newly scrubbed and enhanced
mailing list. This list reduced the overall number of mailings, resulting in a reduction in
mailhouse charges and postage costs that have continued to increase over the past few
years. Also, by more specifically targeting potential water-wise homes and reaching out
to local professionals, the program reached a higher number of interested individuals and
businesses on a smaller budget. The revised mailing list included:

An updated Master Gardener list provided by the Florida Yards &
Neighborhoods program
Horticulture homeowner mailing lists provided by the Florida Yards &
Neighborhoods program
Members of the local chapters of the FNGLA and FIS
Participants in Xeriscape workshops or those requesting information on Xeriscape
Residents that called the County Extension as a result of the utility bill stuffer
Participants in member governments’ irrigation evaluation programs

Additional entry brochures were distributed through FYN representatives, Tampa Bay
Water member governments and the consultant. These brochures were distributed at
landscaping, gardening and home expos as well as during Florida Yards &
Neighborhoods landscaping seminars and workshops.

10

Utility Bill Messaging
Standard text was created to announce the Community Water-Wise Awards as part of
utility bill messaging for the member governments. This messaging was distributed in
January to target the March/April billing cycles to give potential participants time to
review their landscape and complete applications prior to the May 31 deadline. Members
of the Conservation Coordination Consortium were asked to work with their respective
governments to secure placement on their utility bills, if possible. Two versions of the
text were provided to fit various space parameters (see appendix E).

Media Relations
Two news releases were distributed to announce the launch of the Community Water-
Wise Awards. The first release was distributed on March 29 to announce the launch of
the program (see appendix F). As news coverage of the existing drought conditions
picked up through April and May, another release was distributed on May 1 to highlight
the approaching deadline and the fact that entries were still being accepted (see appendix
G). Both releases were distributed to regional media contacts consisting of natural
resource reporters, editors and calendar/events coordinators at daily and weekly
newspapers and television stations across the region. Media coverage earned as a result
of these efforts has been included in this report (see appendix H).

Paid Advertising
In past years, the Southwest Florida Water Management District provided funds to
advertise the Community Water-Wise Awards in local weekly publications and daily
regional newspapers. In 2007, however, funding was not provided by the District.
Because paid advertising is a crucial component of the Community Water-Wise Awards
public awareness campaign, Tampa Bay Water included funding for this program in the
conservation budget.

The goal of the advertising campaign was to increase awareness of the program to the
general public, generating interest and driving entries. In 2007, the advertising strategy
was revised to include larger color advertisements strategically placed in targeted
locations (e.g., home and garden sections of daily newspapers). While this resulted in
fewer overall insertions than in previous years, the overall impact of the advertising was
greater as a result of the new, larger, more noticeable ads (see appendix I).

Web Content/Online Entry Form
Given the continued trend toward Web-based content for social marketing and the high
level of online entry submission in previous years, Tampa Bay Water placed a renewed
emphasis on Web content for the 2007 Community Water-Wise Awards. This included
the creation of a stand-alone Web site (tampabaywaterwise.com) that provides
information about water-wise landscaping, the Community Water-Wise Awards and
designing a Florida-friendly, water-wise landscape (see appendix J).

The revised Web page also included an updated online entry form with increased
functionality based on feedback from Conservation Coordination Consortium members,
Tampa Bay Water staff and Roberts Communications. The major additions to the online

11

entry form in 2007 included a text box for the entry of a written description of the
landscape and the ability to upload a photo of the landscape. These new features
streamlined the process of entry collection, allowing entrants to provide the same
information online as they would if they were to submit an application entry. This
facilitated the judging process, providing judges with a visual or written description of
the landscape to pre-qualify entries for on-site evaluation.

Given the updated, stand-alone Web site, all program communications drove traffic to the
new Web site for additional information. As a result of promotion of the new Web site,
22 of the 30 entries for the Community Water-Wise Awards program were submitted via
the Web site in 2007. This high rate of online submission confirms that individuals
prefer the simplicity and convenience of an online entry format. In future years, even
more emphasis should be placed on Web-based communications.

Grassroots Marketing
Grassroots outreach methods were also undertaken to drive awareness of the Community
Water-Wise Program among groups with a psychographic composition that had a high
propensity to engage in landscaping and/or conservation activities. These groups
included local garden clubs and environmental/conservation groups as well as
professional organizations with access to individuals and businesses with potential water-
wise landscapes. These groups were provided with application brochures and water-wise
content for newsletters and Web sites.

In 2007, Roberts Communications created a door hanger/flyer with information about the
Community Water-Wise Awards program. This element was created based on member
feedback. The piece was conceived as a method for member governments to provide an
application and program information directly to homes and businesses that appeared to
have water-wise landscapes. Each member government was responsible for
implementing this element of the awards promotion if interested.

In order to allow a customizable message from each member government, the existing
entry brochures were used with an insert and placed in a clear plastic bag that could fit
over a door handle. A recommended flyer insert was created for each of the member
governments (see appendix K). When placed inside an application brochure, the top of
the flyer would remain exposed, showing the headline “Your Landscape Caught Our
Eyes.” At the same time, the full brochure cover was exposed, increasing program
recognition.

These materials were provided to each member government to use at its discretion based
on its local ordinances. Initial feedback by members of the Conservation Coordination
Consortium highlighted the desire to create an additional printed piece in the future to
serve as a door hanger. Specifically, members recommended developing a printed piece
similar in look to the application brochure with a hanger-style die cut. When examined
more closely, however, several factors made the chosen design the best possible option
for 2007. Namely, the plastic bag protected its contents from the elements, allowed
customization of the inserted message, utilized the additional brochures that had already
been printed, and minimized cost for this experimental initiative.

12

Judging Process

As in years past, entrants were required to use the brochure or online entry form as a self-
scoring and official entry mechanism. Judges were then able to quickly use the entry
form as a pre-screening method to judge homes not meeting minimum requirements.
This year, however, the judging committee visited all entries in person for an on-site
evaluation.

FYN professionals conducted the field judging with representatives from Tampa Bay
Water’s member governments. Since criteria included only exterior features, residents
were not required to be at home for the visit, but access to the applicants’ irrigation
system controller was required.

Review of Entries

2007 proved to be the most successful year to date in terms of the number of entries
submitted and the wide variety of landscape styles that applied. Moreover, the overall
quality of the Community Water-Wise Award entries in 2007 was excellent. Most of the
entries were outstanding demonstrations of how—with planning and maintenance—
landscapes can be aesthetically pleasing and water-efficient. The following is a list of the
entries for each county in 2007:

Hillsborough County/City of Tampa received ten (10) single-family residential
entries and one (1) commercial entry.
Pinellas County/City of St. Petersburg received four (4) commercial entries, one
(1) multi-family residential entry and eleven (11) single-family residential entries.
Pasco County/City of New Port Richey received two (2) single-family residential
entries and one (1) multi-family residential entry.

Field judging generally occurred from mid-June through early July. Entrants were
judged by FYN and/or member government representatives in each municipality. All
judges evaluated the entrants based on the same objective—standardized criteria
developed specifically for the Community Water-Wise Awards by the Conservation
Coordination Consortium (see appendix L). These criteria were designed to optimize
objectivity with the focus being on landscape and irrigation system design. After on-site
evaluations were performed for each entry, judges pulled historical water-use data to
verify the water efficiency of those entries that met the minimum requirements for a
Community Water-Wise Award. Entrants with more than 30 points out of a potential 40
on the standardized scoring criteria were eligible for a Community Water-Wise Award.
These landscapes were considered to be exemplary for their use of attractive, Water-
Wise, Florida-friendly yards (see appendix M).

13

The winners were:

Hillsborough County
Joseph and Maryanne Velez

City of Tampa
Josephine Black

Pinellas County
Ray Crnkovic and Monica Hale of Dunedin (single-family residential)
Paul and Gail Carroll of Belleair (single-family residential)
Q of Dunedin (commercial)

City of St. Petersburg
Sue Stanczyk (single-family residential)
The Craftsman House (commercial)
The Front Porch Community Development Association (other)

Pasco County
Patricia Harvey-Maines (single-family residential)

City of New Port Richey
No entries

Awards Presentations

Award presentations/ceremonies were scheduled independently by each member
government. The awards were presented to the winners at City Council and Board of
County Commissioner meetings.

Each member government representative coordinates with the consultant on the number
of awards needed and the presentation date. Awards for single-family homes consist of a
round 14-inch landscape stepping stone with stained glass imbedded into the stone
recognizing the homeowner’s efforts (see appendix N). If a government, school, home
builder or commercial site wins a Community Water-Wise Award, a plaque is provided
so it can be displayed by the winner at their place of business. Recognition plaques are
also provided by each member government, if requested, to those that have exceeded the
minimum criteria but did not win awards. No certificates were presented in 2007.

Community Water-Wise Recommendations

In 2007, the Community Water-Wise Awards program should enhance its focus by:

Developing an email “newsletter” template that can be distributed to various
audiences, directing them to the Web entry form

14

Encouraging Conservation Coordination Consortium members to begin collecting
e-mail addresses of interested parties as shift toward online media becomes more
prominent
Test email notification piece with any available email lists
Refine mailing database for entry brochure mailing to minimize the number of
wasted mailings
Expand content on TampaBayWaterWise.com to include more information on
water-wise landscaping and photos of wining entries
Update TampaBayWaterWise.com look to match the Community Water-Wise
Award brochure look
Test sending entry brochure mass mailing at the end of March—later in the
season, when individuals are more likely to be thinking about landscaping
Enhance publicity efforts to highlight winning landscapes after the awards are
given
Include builders and other non-residential properties on entry brochure
distribution list to increase participation in the non-residential sector

15

5.0 APPENDICES

A. Aurora Water-Wise Award Winner
B. Aurora Award Scoring Criteria
C. TBW Promotional Video Storyboard
D. 2007 Community Water-Wise Awards Brochure
E. Recommended Text for Utility Bills
F. March 29 Media Release
G. May 1 Media Release
H. Media Coverage of Community Water-Wise Awards
I. 2007 Community Water-Wise Awards Newspaper Ad
J. Community Water-Wise Awards Web Site
K. Door Hanger
L. Community Water-Wise Awards Scoring Criteria
M. Photos of Winning Landscapes
N. 2007 Community Water-Wise Award Stone

16

2007 WATER WISE AWARDS
Landscape Conservation Judging Criteria

NAME ADDRESS DATE

RETENTION OF EXISTING TREES AND VEGETATION
Criteria Point Points
Value Awarded
No invasive exotic plant species on site (i.e. Brazilian pepper, Australian pine, melaleuca,
1
Chinese tallow, air potato and carrotwood, or specific to geographic location)

Drought-tolerant, trees and/or plants are retained, protected or planted 1

Self-mulching areas are located under trees 1

Total Points

LANDSCAPE DESIGN AND PLANT SELECTION
Value Awarded

No grass or minimal and/or practical use of grass (for play, entertainment, pets, etc.) 1

Plants selected are appropriate to site conditions (drainage, sun, shade, etc.) 2

Plants with similar maintenance and water requirements are grouped together 2
Organic mulch (e.g. shredded wood, leaves) is applied 2-3 inches deep throughout
1
plant beds
Use of alternative mulch (e.g. pine straw or bark, melaleuca, eucalyptus or recycled
2
materials, instead of cypress)
No narrow strips of grass (less than 4’ wide) 1

Total Points

STORMWATER RUNOFF PREVENTION
Value Awarded
Swales, retention ponds (on the property), berms, terracing and other landscape
1
features which retain runoff on the property
Gutter downspouts and roof runoff directed onto mulched/planted areas
1

Pervious materials for paths, walks, and driveways or play areas such as mulch, wood
1
decking, brick, gravel and stone are used
Rain collection devices such as rain barrels and/or cisterns are used 1

No bare areas in the lawn or landscape which are subject to erosion 1

Total Points

EFFICIENT IRRIGATION
Criteria (choose only one) Point Value Points Awarded
Landscape exists primarily on rainfall ~ ~

- No irrigation system 20

- Existing irrigation system (go to checklist below) 5
Landscape watered as needed once established 5
- By hose-end sprinkler 15

- By in-ground system (go to checklist below) 0
0
Landscape watered routinely (go to checklist below) 0

Low-Volume System Only Point Points (CIRCLE ONE) Point Points
Value Awarded Low-Volume and Traditional Value Awarded
Irrigation Systems Combined
OR Traditional Irrigation Only
Manual controller Turf & plants irrigated by
6 3
- OR - separate zones no turf
Automatic controller Rotors/sprays/micro in separate
- Multiple program 2 3
zones
time clock
Matched precipitation rates
- Time clock set
2 (includes emitter selection & 3
appropriately
placement)
- Functioning rain Multiple program time clock
shut-off device 2 1
Rainbird ESP-6

Landscape beds only irrigated Time clock set appropriately
3 2
with micro Four zones- 50 min. each; Sunday
Functioning rain shut-off device
System/emitters not broken or
3 Located in poor area that does 1
misdirected
not receive rainfall
Proper emitter selection and Rotors/sprays/micro emitters not
3 1
placement broken or misdirected

Plants or structures do not
1
interfere with spray patterns

Total Points Total Points

Overall Aesthetic Appeal (circle one): Poor (-3 points) Average (0 points) Good (3 points)

TOTAL (out of 40 points): ____ + Aesthetic Points ____ = ____

Tampa Bay Water
Aurora Awards Public Service Announcement
Slide one:

Audio: All across our region

Slide two:

Audio: people enjoy the amenities

Slide three:

Audio: this area has to offer.

Slide four:

Audio: To sustain this

Slide five:

Audio: quality of life,

Slide six:

Audio: growing needs are met

Slide seven:

Audio: with a focus on

Slide eight:

Audio: environmental sustainability.

Slide nine:

Audio: We’re Tampa Bay Water —

Slide ten:

Audio: supplying water to the region.

Community

Clearwater, FL 33763
2575 Enterprise Road
Tampa Bay Water
Water-Wise A re conserving water and protecting the Application
environment as important to you as having
To enter, judge your own landscape using the
Awards a beautiful yard? If so, here’s your yard’s
opportunity to shine. criteria in this brochure. Mark the items that
apply to your yard, and return the entire
The Community Water-Wise Awards brochure to your County Extension office by
were created to recognize those who have May 31, 2007. Applications may also be
committed to conserving our water submitted online at www.tampabaywater.org.
resources and protecting the environment by Name
using attractive Florida-friendly landscaping. Address
City
What makes a yard Water-Wise? State ZIP
Day Phone
Right plant – right place. Florida-friendly E-mail Address
plants are better adapted to our climate and
require less water and maintenance. They are What agency sends you your water bill?
also more likely to thrive without frequent
fertilizer and pesticide application. Please indicate the category of your landscape:
Resident/Homeowner Builder
Stormwater runoff prevention. Adding
Multi-Family Property School
features to your landscape that retain rain
Commercial Property Other
water on your property reduces the amount
Governmental Property
of pollutants that reach our waterways and
minimizes the need for additional irrigation.
Please attach a photo and/or a brief
description of your landscape with this
Efficient irrigation. Inspecting your irrigation application.
system each season helps ensure efficient
operation. Even well-designed systems should Hillsborough County Extension
be inspected for leaks, broken parts, and 5339 County Road 579 • Seffner, FL 33584
proper adjustment of controllers. (813) 744-5519, Ext. 144
http://hillsborough_fyn.ifas.ufl.edu
Think your yard has what it takes? Fill out
the attached application and checklist today! Pasco County Extension
Water-Wise judging is done on-site, during 36702 State Road 52 • Dade City, FL 33525
regular business hours. Applicants need not (352) 521- 4288 or (727) 847-8177
be present during judging, but judges will http://pasco.ifas.ufl.edu
need access to the irrigation system
controller. Pets must be secured during Pinellas County Extension
the process. 12520 Ulmerton Road • Largo, FL 33774
(727) 582-2124
US POSTAGE PAID
PERMIT NO 3239

http://coop.co.pinellas.fl.us/fyn/yard.html
PRESORTED
STANDARD
TAMPA FL

Employees of project sponsors are not eligible for the
Community Water-Wise Awards.

Landscape Alternative mulches like pine straw/bark,
melaleuca, eucalyptus and/or recycled
Which of the following best describes your
approach to irrigation? (check one)
Conventional in-ground irrigation system
evaluation (check all that apply)
Conservation material are used instead of cypress.
Landscape exists primarily on rainfall. Sprays and rotors are in separate zones.
Criteria Grass areas are functional and easy to Landscape is watered only as needed, There is uniform water application within
irrigate and mow. once established. each irrigation zone.
Check ( ) all items that apply to your landscape.
All strips of grass are at least 4’ wide. Landscape is watered routinely according Controller is set appropriately (sprays
Retention of Existing Trees to water restrictions. 15–20 minutes, rotors 45–60 minutes;
and Vegetation Landscape has overall aesthetic appeal
and is free of debris and litter. correct day(s) and times as required by
Native plants are best adapted to a site and What type of system(s) do you use? (check municipal restrictions).
usually do not need additional irrigation. Stormwater Runoff Prevention all that apply to your irrigation system)
Retaining or restoring natural areas provides There is minimal runoff and overspray
When rainfall is retained and used by plants Hose-end sprinkler/hand watering (e.g., no watering of paved surfaces).
wildlife habitats and reduces upkeep.
on-site, the need for irrigation is minimized and
Drought-tolerant trees and plants are pollution from stormwater runoff is reduced. Drip/low-volume/micro-irrigation Spray patterns are not obstructed by
retained, protected and planted. (evaluate your system below) plants or structures.
Swales, retention ponds, berms, terracing
Self-mulching areas are located under trees. and other landscape features retain runoff Conventional in-ground system with Irrigation system is properly calibrated to
on the property. sprays and/or rotors (evaluate your apply no more than 3/4"– 1'' of water
Site is free of invasive, exotic plants (e.g., system on next page) per application.
Brazilian pepper, melaleuca, Australian Roof runoff and gutter downspouts are
pine, Chinese tallow, air potato or directed onto mulched or planted areas. Sprays and rotor heads are working
carrotwood). Drip/low-volume/micro-irrigation system properly and directed correctly.
Pervious materials such as mulch, wood evaluation (check all that apply)
Landscape Design and decking, brick, gravel and stone are used
for paths, walks, driveways or play areas. The deadline for entries is May 31, 2007.
Plant Selection The system irrigates landscape plants
only, not grass. Please mail the entire application and checklist
Plants that are appropriate for a site need less Rain collection devices like rain barrels and
cisterns are used. to your local County Extension office.
water and maintenance, and they minimize A multiple-program controller runs
the need for fertilizers and pesticides. There are no bare areas that may be the system. Sponsored by:
subject to erosion. The controller is set to prevent
There is minimal and/or practical use of
grass (for play, entertainment, pets, etc.). Efficient Irrigation over-watering.

Plants selected are appropriate to site Properly designed and installed irrigation Emitters are working properly and
conditions (drainage, sun, shade, etc.). systems use water more efficiently and save directed correctly.
money. Regular inspections and maintenance
Plants with similar maintenance and The irrigation controller is equipped with
ensure efficient operation. Seasonal watering
a functioning automatic rain shut-off device.
water requirements are grouped schedules adjust to changing irrigation needs
together in well-defined beds. throughout the year.
Two to three inches of organic mulch (continue to irrigation checklist on next page)
(e.g., shredded wood, leaves) exist
throughout plant beds.

2007 Annual Report on the Water-Wise Program - Tampa Bay Water

2007 Annual Report on the Water-Wise Program - Tampa Bay Water

Recommandé

Recommandé

Contenu connexe

En vedette

En vedette (9)

Similaire à 2007 Annual Report on the Water-Wise Program - Tampa Bay Water

Similaire à 2007 Annual Report on the Water-Wise Program - Tampa Bay Water (20)

Plus de Kama158x

Plus de Kama158x (20)

Dernier

Dernier (20)

2007 Annual Report on the Water-Wise Program - Tampa Bay Water