ODNR names Water Conservation Excellence Award recipients

OHIO — The Ohio Department of Natural Resources is issuing a new award for water conservation to organizations across the Buckeye State.

ODNR’s Division of Water Resources is rewarding water withdrawal facilities for their conservation practices with the new Ohio Water Conservation Excellence Awards. Recipients were named for their effiency in using water while protecting Ohio’s water resources by promoting sustainability.

“These award recipients represent Ohio’s innovation and dedication to responsible water use,” said ODNR Director Mary Mertz. “Their efforts help safeguard Ohio’s water resources for future generations while demonstrating that environmental responsibility and operational success can work in tandem.”

Recipients were named across the state, including: 

• Blacklick Woods Golf Course, Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks: For its establishment of Zoysia grass on two courses and on other areas of the property. This type of grass thrives during hot summers with little to no watering
• Turpin Farms, Cincinnati: For the development of 1785 Low Impact Turf, a sustainable turfgrass variety that, once established, requires no watering, fertilization or mowing.
• PepsiCo Foods U.S., Wooster: ODNR said this location is receiving recognition for installing an advanced water filtration system which enables water reuse
• Avon Lake Regional Water, Avon Lake: This award is for the installation of a large-scale wash water recycling system at the Avon Lake Water Filtration Plant which has conserved over 1.9 billion gallons of Lake Erie water since 2016, approximately 215 million gallons a year