California American Water’s Rosemont service area selected for ‘Blue Thumb Neighbors’ project

California American Water is pleased to announce that its Sacramento Rosemont service area has been selected to participate in “Blue Thumb Neighbors,” a free program sponsored by the Regional Water Authority and River Friendly Landscaping Coalition.

The project will teach residents there how to create healthy, beautiful sustainable landscapes that compliment their homes and neighborhood.

Each participating household will receive a free at-home consultation on efficient watering and training from landscape and irrigation experts at educational workshops along with literature and tips.

“When we first heard of this program, we immediately thought of our Rosemont customers,” said California American Water Northern Division General Manager Andy Soule. “Their collective efforts to improve their water efficiency are clearly evident by their active participation in our own conservation and rebate programs. Through this program our Rosemont customers will have the opportunity to pair their already admirable outdoor conservation practices with expert guidance and advice.”

Neighborhoods from throughout Sacramento County were nominated for the program and then evaluated according to 13 criteria, which included whether the neighborhood is metered and representative of other communities in the Sacramento region. After interviews with leaders at top-ranked neighborhoods, program sponsors selected Rosemont.

"We were impressed with Rosemont's sense of community pride, existing system of communication via their community association Web site, neighborhood watch networks, and other outreach avenues, as well as enthusiasm of community leaders for the program," said Regional Water Efficiency Program Manager Linda Yager.

Rosemont, which was nominated by California American Water, was the only neighborhood selected in unincorporated Sacramento County for the 2011 Blue Thumb Neighbors program.

Program sponsors include the Regional Water Authority, which represents more than 20 water providers in the greater Sacramento area, and the River Friendly Landscaping Coalition, a collaboration between public agencies, non-profit organizations, designers, private landscape architects and contractors in the greater Sacramento region. The Blue Thumb Neighbors program is funded through a 2010 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Climate Showcase Communities Grant. One program goal is to reduce participant’s outdoor water use by 20 percent, which can help reduce green house gas emissions.

Program participants will first receive an at-home consultation on efficient watering, sponsored by California American Water, and then education on sustainable landscape design, efficient irrigation, and proper plant selection. One lucky participant will earn a weather-based irrigation controller donated by California American Water. The two-month program will conclude at the end of June.

California American Water, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Water (NYSE: AWK), provides high-quality and reliable water and/or wastewater services to approximately 600,000 people.

Founded in 1886, American Water is the largest publicly traded U.S. water and wastewater utility company. With headquarters in Voorhees, N.J., the company employs more than 7,000 dedicated professionals who provide drinking water, wastewater and other related services to approximately 15 million people in more than 30 states, as well as parts of Canada. More information can be found by visiting www.amwater.com.

In 2011, American Water is celebrating its 125th anniversary with a yearlong campaign to promote water efficiency and the importance of protecting water from source to tap. To learn more, visit www.amwater125.com.

RWA is a joint powers authority representing 21 water providers in the greater Sacramento area. Its primary mission is to help its members protect and enhance the reliability, availability, affordability and quality of water resources.