City of Torrance Municipal Maintenance Crews Receive WRD ECO PRO 20 X 2020 Certification

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Water Replenishment District of Southern California

Nov 14, 2011, 03:17 ET

A full-scale water conservation program that teaches Eco-Friendly Gardening Practices

TORRANCE, Calif., Nov. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Water Replenishment District (WRD) certified its third class of city maintenance crews, this one from the city of Torrance after successfully completing WRD's innovative ECO PRO 20 x 2020 Program. This year WRD will have certified over 90 municipal maintenance crews through this program. The cities of Lynwood, Compton, Cudahy, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, Lakewood and Torrance now have the capability to meet the State's AB 1881 Water Efficient Model Landscape Ordinance through these trainings.

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The free four course program aims to train and certify professional municipal/governmental and school district maintenance crews on "green" gardening and water conservation practices in outdoor landscapes.

Participants were instructed on water smart landscape design and proper planting and maintenance of California friendly and native plants. Courses include: California Model Water Efficient Landscaping Ordinance, Sustainable Landscape Design, Irrigation Systems, Water-Efficient Plants, Large Landscape Survey Training, and Landscape Management.

"The ECO PRO 20 by 2020 Program for outdoor water conservation techniques will help our cities meet California's statewide mandate to reduce water consumption by 20% by the year 2020," said WRD Board member Rob Katherman. "This is another strategic program that demonstrates the Water Replenishment District's innovative approach to incrementally solving our water supply problems by reducing the need for imported water from the Sacramento Delta in northern California."

"As one of WRD's signature water conservation programs, the ECO PRO 20 x 2020 Program further enhances the District's current water conservation efforts by including local water agencies, municipalities and government agencies," said WRD Workforce & Economic Development Chair Lillian Kawasaki. "WRD is proud to provide this free certified training to help agencies meet the requirement of 20% reduction in water usage by the year 2020."

The Water Replenishment District of Southern California is the regional groundwater management agency that protects and preserves the quantity and quality of groundwater for two of the most utilized urban basins in the State of California. The service area is home to over ten percent of California's population residing in 43 cities in southern Los Angeles County. WRD is governed by a publicly elected Board of Directors including Willard H. Murray, Jr., Robert Katherman, Lillian Kawasaki, Sergio Calderon, and Albert Robles.

For more information please visit WRD at www.wrd.org

SOURCE Water Replenishment District of Southern California