LOS ANGELES—With the probability increasing for the first mandatory reductions in imported water supplies throughout Southern California in nearly a generation, Metropolitan Water District’s Board of Directors nearly doubled funding for the agency’s conservation and rebate programs to keep pace with burgeoning demands. Metropolitan’s board authorized an additional $20 million for regional programs offering consumers and businesses rebates for installing water-saving devices and providing financial incentives to public agencies to make conservation investments. “The unprecedented water supply situation facing Southern California and the rest of the state will not be solved with one or two hearty storms,” said Metropolitan board...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, has added a new case study to its website. The case study focuses on the Holiday Inn Select near San Antonio airport and how it is saving millions of gallons of water a year thanks to Caroma Sydney 270 elongated toilets. Prior to July 2007, the Holiday Inn Select had 3.5-gallon-per-flush toilets installed in its 397 guestrooms. It has since installed the Caroma dual flush toilets that use 1.6 gallons per flush (gpf) for solid waste and 0.8 gpf for liquid and paper waste. Based on a one to...

CHICAGO—The National Restaurant Assn. announced the recipients of its prestigious Kitchen Innovations (KI) Award for 2009. This year’s awardees will give the restaurant and hospitality industry new, state-of-the-art solutions to enhancing productivity, saving energy and water, speeding up prep and cooking times, and maximizing space and functionality in the back-of-the-house. All the KI products will be showcased in an interactive demonstration area at the 2009 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show at Chicago’s McCormick Place, May 16 to 19. “Cost-saving, fast, multi-functional, flexible, efficient—these are all adjectives we look for when choosing new equipment and they describe each of this...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes ClearWater Tech, LLC as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. ClearWater Tech, LLC is a leading designer and manufacturer of ozone generation equipment and related components for water and air purification applications and markets. The EcoTex™ Advanced Laundry Oxidation System reduces environmental impact, improves laundry quality, saves money, energy and detergent, while providing superior disinfection. EcoTex technology has been proven in more than 2,500 installations worldwide. For more information, call (805) 549-9724, e-mail sales@cwtozone.com, or go to www.ecotexlaundry.com.

HILLSBORO, ORE.—Caroma, a maker of dual flush toilets and stylish bathroom sinks, announced the appointment of Eddie Wilcut as National Water Conservation Manager. Wilcut will report to Caroma North American General Manager Derek Kirkpatrick. Wilcut’s responsibilities in this new position for Caroma North America include developing water conservation programs and assisting the efforts of local representatives and master distributors in delivering successful results with local water authorities, governments, etc. He will also be focusing on industry-specific sectors, such as hotels and educational institutions, to educate on water conservation and how programs can be implemented to conserve water resources. Wilcut brings more...

BENSENVILLE, ILL.—Earthwise Environmental, Inc., Bensenville, Ill., introduces its “e solution,” a patent pending program that completely eliminates hazardous chemical treatments and dramatically reduces cooling tower discharge by up to 75 percent compared to most cooling tower programs. “This technology provides the solution to a safer environment,” says Bob Miller, founder and president. “It uses far less water, reuses it to conserve waste, and eliminates chemicals, providing truly economical and healthful applications in all types of public venues.” Earthwise designs and implements water management solutions for hospitals, schools, hotels, food processing plants, and light industrial and commercial buildings. The majority of today’s...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Alliance Laundry Systems LLC as an advertising partner. The company’s washer-extractors, commercial dryers and flatwork ironers boast features to help any laundry reduce its operating expenses. Information about Alliance’s UniMac line of products can be found in the green section of the company’s website. By offering sophisticated washer programming features, the biggest opportunity for controlling water consumption, UniMac equipment can reduce both water and energy consumption. Thanks to fast extract speeds, UniMac washer-extractors can reduce drying time. Drying tumblers account for nearly 70 percent of all energy consumption...

PORTLAND, ORE.—The Heathman Hotel, Portland’s independent luxury arts hotel, will complete a 99 percent landfill-free remodel in late April. The renovation, involving the historic hotel’s 155 guest bathrooms, was planned in accordance with the property’s commitment to sustainability which includes ensuring energy efficiency, utilizing local resources, and re-using existing materials whenever possible. The renovation is projected to reduce gas usage by 20 percent and water consumption by 50 percent. “We are proud to lead the hospitality industry in our commitment to sustainability,” said Chris Erickson, general manager of the Heathman Hotel. “We find that our guests appreciate our effort to...

NORTH OLMSTED, OHIO—Moen Inc. introduced a new sustainability-focused section to its website. The new section, which launched in January 2009, is another example of Moen’s commitment to sustainability, providing detailed information on its water-efficient product portfolio. The new section also provides the trade, consumers and the media with additional green resources and information on current industry programs. Moen’s new sustainability section explains all of the company’s corporate waste-reduction and recycling initiatives and allows site visitors to download materials such as a video, literature and green product information. “Going green is not just a fad—it’s a priority that consumers...

DOVER, DEL.—Three grants have been awarded to the Delaware hospitality industry for projects that will prevent pollution by conserving energy and water resources, recycling and other sustainable practices. The grant funds, which total $13,290, were provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Delaware Pollution Prevention Program grant. According to Crystal Nagyiski, manager of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s (DNREC) Pollution Prevention Program, the proposals were accepted based on the project’s plans to implement sustainable practices that reduce pollution and conserve energy and natural resources. The grants include: • $4950 to the Delaware Hotel and Lodging...