WASHINGTON, D.C.—More than 1,100 U.S. counties—a full one-third of all counties in the lower 48 states—now face higher risks of water shortages by mid-century as the result of global warming, and more than 400 of these counties will be at extremely high risk for water shortages, based on estimates from a report by Tetra Tech for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The report uses publicly available water use data across the United States and climate projections from a set of models used in recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) work to evaluate withdrawals related to renewable water supply....

RALEIGH-DURHAM, N.C.—Concord Hospitality Enterprises, one of the nation’s top-ranked hotel developer/owner/operators, has opened the first LEED-designed Courtyard by Marriott.  Located in Settlers Ridge in west suburban Pittsburgh, the state-of-the-art property design, created by Concord with support from Marriott, will be the prototype for all future LEED-compliant Courtyards. The new design is expected to reduce energy usage at Courtyard hotels by an average of 24 percent annually and save more than 300,000 gallons of water per year, the equivalent of 21 swimming pools. This improved energy efficiency is expected to produce average annual operating savings of $50,000 at current energy costs,...

ALPHARETTA, GA.—Hansgrohe introduces the Raindance and Croma product series, which provide the full coverage of high-end showerheads and handshowers combined with 20 percent water savings. According to Lars Christensen, director of product development, “Hansgrohe’s commitment to the environment has been part of the company’s modus operandi for many years. Our talented engineers and designers have joined forces to create these products, which are aesthetically and technically in a class by themselves. We are proud to raise the industry bar with these new additions.” All Raindance AIR Green EcoRight products employ Hansgrohe’s patented AIR-injection technology, which provides enhanced spray performance and...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, has added a ClearWater Tech, LLC case study to the Green Lodging News website. The case study details how Manoir Pierrefonds in Pierrefonds, Quebec has benefited from an EnvirO3matic Advanced Laundry Oxidation System. (For the record, the name EnvirO3matic was developed and trademarked by Coinamatic for equipment manufactured by ClearWater Tech in the United States, for which it is the exclusive Canadian distributor.) The senior care facility has benefited in many ways from the ozone system: 16-minute reduction in cycle time, resulting in an increase of 26 loads per...

HOWARD, PA.—For Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the 16-room, 18,500-square foot Nature Inn at Bald Eagle is just the first of many more green buildings to come. DCNR has committed to pursue the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for the inn and at least LEED certification for all of its future buildings. The Nature Inn at Bald Eagle is green from ground to rooftop and a great start for DCNR. The Nature Inn at Bald Eagle had its grand opening on September 2 earlier this month and innkeeper...

PALM SPRINGS, CALIF.—On September 18, World Water Monitoring Day will focus attention on protecting and preserving water resources around the world. In recognition of this international awareness campaign, American Leak Detection, specializing in the accurate, non-invasive detection of all types of leaks, asks citizens nationwide to become more “water wise,” and take steps in to conserve and protect this critical resource. “Water is the most common substance found on Earth, but we can’t make or produce new water,” according to Stan Berenbaum, president of American Leak Detection. “That’s why it’s so important to conserve and manage the water we have.” That...

DENVER—Sage Hospitality has upped its own ante on helping the environment with its new Green Choice program. The “opt in” initiative offers guests the choice to decline daily housekeeping to reduce their carbon footprint while saving hotels money on energy, water and other costs. Introduced in March 2010 and currently offered at 18 Sage hotels across the country, such as The Renaissance Blackstone Chicago Hotel and the Nines in Portland, Ore., Green Choice reflects a growing trend as hotel groups seek innovative solutions to save money—and the planet—amid challenging times for the travel industry. Green Choice has seen great success...

PISCATAWAY, N.J.—New high performance, high efficiency toilets (HETs) are now available as part of three complete bathroom collections from American Standard Brands, including the Studio, Tropic and Evolution series, which offer styles that range from traditional to contemporary. “Savvy shoppers can focus on finding the ideal bathroom fixtures and coordinating design accessories, knowing that water efficient technology and top-rated flushing performance are built in,” says James Walsh, director of chinaware for American Standard. The top-rated flushing platforms used in these three bathroom collections, including the new high efficiency toilet additions, are capable of flushing more than 2.2 pounds of solids without...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Newton Distributing Co. as a Product & Service Directory partner. Newton Distributing Co. specializes in supplying restroom products including environmentally friendly hand dryers, faucets, flush valves, baby changing stations, drinking water fountains, toilet accessories, partitions and much more. The products represented in Newton’s selection are manufactured by leading companies such as Excel Dryer, Rubbermaid, Sloan Valve, Moen, American Standard, Elkay, Kohler, and TOTO. For more information, e-mail lance@NewtonDistributing.com, call (877) 837-7745, or go to www.newtondistributing.com.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Washington Marriott at Metro Center announced that it has received the 2010 Environmental Excellence Award for “Outstanding Achievement by a Hotel.” The hotel is one of nine District businesses and nonprofit organizations recognized for their environmental stewardship, innovative best practices, pollution prevention and resource conservation. “We are delighted to be recognized by Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and the city of Washington, D.C. for our efforts to reduce energy, water, waste and the way we demonstrate how responsible hotel operations can be a positive force for the environment,” said Meg Bobinski, general manager, Washington Marriott at Metro Center. “Our...