DuPage Water Commission receives awards from SCARCE nonprofit

The DuPage Water Commission recently received two prestigious awards in recognition of their successful efforts to foster a safe and green environment.

SCARCE, which stands for "School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education," presented the water commission with the Earth Flag and the Water Quality Flag.

In a quest to be a national safe-environment leader, the DuPage Water Commission has dedicated countless hours and resources to improve its operations and facilities as a provider of reliable, quality, responsive, and cost-efficient Lake Michigan water service to communities in DuPage County.

"Every day the water commission strives to be a good steward of our community's water supply, our most vital resource," said DuPage Water Commission Chairman Jim Zay. "We are pleased to work with SCARCE and other environmental groups on education, awareness and a continuous program of improvement so that our customers know we are leading the way in best practices as a regional water supplier."

To earn the Earth and Water Quality Flags, the DuPage Water Commission organized employee training sessions (and received 85 percent attendance) and a Green audit of all buildings by SCARCE staff.

The commission also instituted a 13-thousand-gallon rainwater collection system, attended and hosted conservation in action events and installed low-flow plumbing fixtures and water aerators, saving 40 percent of water use in their facilities, among many more initiatives.

SCARCE is an award-winning environmental education nonprofit dedicated to creating sustainable communities. Their Earth Flag award is funded by the DuPage County Environmental Committee and the Water Quality Flag is funded by the DuPage County Stormwater Committee.

To see how the DuPage Water Commission is "Preserving Every Drop," see a full list of environmental accomplishments at their website: www.dpwc.org.