PHOENIX, Oct. 08, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Water Resources, Inc. (NASDAQ: GWRS), (TSX: GWR), a pure-play water resource management company, has received national recognition as a ‘Utility of the Future Today’ for its superior water reuse approach by a national consortium of water and conservation organizations led by the
Water Environment Federation
(WEF).
Global Water has been recognized for its transformational work in community engagement, watershed stewardship, and recovery of resources, including water, energy, and nutrients. The recognition celebrates the achievements of water utilities that transform from the traditional wastewater treatment system to a resource recovery center and leader in the overall sustainability and resilience of the communities they serve.
Global Water was noted for its highly effective implementation of Total Water Management (TWM). TWM is an integrated approach to managing the entire water cycle by owning and operating water, wastewater and recycled water utilities within the same geographic area in order to maximize the beneficial use of recycled water. TWM includes additional smart water management programs such as remote metering infrastructure and other advanced technologies, rate designs, and incentives that result in real resource conservation. TWM helps protect water supplies in water-scarce areas experiencing population growth.
“We are honored to be recognized by this esteemed group of organizations with this award,” said Global Water Resources president and CEO, Ron Fleming. “The rapid growth of the communities we serve combined with our TWM approach has presented us the opportunity to achieve meaningful results, including the nearly complete beneficial use of recycled water and the successful implementation of our industry leading technology platform.”
Reuse has been a standard part of Global Water’s development agreements. This standard has allowed the utility to make significant capital investments and construct the purple-pipe recycled water distribution system throughout communities before streets were paved. In order to further this reuse strategy as the company’s service areas have grown, Global Water conducted significant educational outreach about water use and the benefits of using recycled water. As a result, recycled water usage increased from zero in 2003 to more than 8.5 billion gallons by 2020.
“This award reflects our vision of becoming an enduring utility with a professional staff focused on quality customer service, excellence in water resources delivery, and management of water scarcity through innovation in water recycling and technologies,” noted Global Water Resources’ vice president of water resources, Jake Lenderking. “Through key industry partnerships, we have continued to advance the science and facilitate the sharing of knowledge regarding TWM and how it supports the use of recycled water and an overall reduction in water use per customer.”
The company has also partnered with the University of Arizona’s Maricopa Agriculture Center (MAC), a 2,100-acre research farm that studies the use of recycled water. MAC also researches the varying aspects of public acceptance of recycled water for reuse.
The Utility of the Future Today concept is increasing in popularity as water systems face challenges such as aging infrastructure, water pollution, workforce shortages, and impacts of climate change, including drought, floods, storms, and the rise in sea levels.
The Utility of the Future Today program was launched in 2016 by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Water Research Foundation (WRF) and the WateReuse Association, with input from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“The innovations coming to the water sector present an opportunity for a paradigm shift in the way utilities think about and solve long-standing challenges to clean and reliable water,” said Jackie Jarrell, president of WEF. “We are excited to recognize Global Water Resources for embracing innovative ways to better serve their communities.”
Global Water will be recognized in a virtual awards ceremony being hosted on October 9 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern time at
WEFTEC Connect
, the world’s largest water quality conference and exhibition. As one of the top 100 trade shows in the U.S., it typically attracts more than 20,000 registrants and 1,000 exhibitors. A webcast recording of the awards ceremony will be available for viewing
here
.
To learn more, go to
www.wef.org/resources/for-the-public/utility-of-the-future
or contact
[email protected]
.
About
The
Utility of the Future Today
Recognition Program
The Utility of the Future Today Recognition Program seeks to form and motivate a community of like-minded water utilities engaged in advancing resource efficiency and recovery, developing proactive relationships with stakeholders, and establishing resilient, sustainable, and livable communities. The recognition program, through the aggregation and sharing of utility advancements and experiences, enables participants across a broad continuum of capacities and capabilities to learn from each other and continually grow, and sustain their efforts to be, and continually advance the concept of, the Utility of the Future. For more information, visit
www.wef.org/resources/for-th
e-public/utility-of-the-future/
.
About Global Water Resources
Global Water Resources, Inc. is a leading water resource management company that owns and operates 12 utilities which provide water, wastewater, and recycled water services. The company’s service areas are located primarily in growth corridors around metropolitan Phoenix. Global Water recycles nearly 1 billion gallons of water annually.
The company has been recognized for its highly-effective implementation of Total Water Management (TWM). TWM is an integrated approach to managing the entire water cycle by owning and operating water, wastewater and recycled water utilities within the same geographic area in order to maximize the beneficial use of recycled water. TWM includes additional smart water management programs such as remote metering infrastructure and other advanced technologies, rate designs, and incentives that result in real conservation. TWM helps protect water supplies in water-scarce areas experiencing population growth. To learn more, visit
www.gwresources.com
Company Contact
:
Michael Liebman
CFO and SVP
Tel (480) 999-5104
[email protected]
Investor Relations Contact:
Ron Both or Grant Stude
CMA Investor Relations
Tel (949) 432-7566
Email contact
