Source: www.TurfMagazine.com
The Landscape Industry Council of Hawai’i (LICH), a statewide volunteer organization
representing Hawaii’s landscape professional associations, came together in 2010 to
develop irrigation water conservation measures. The effort included a diversity of
professionals, including landscape architects, irrigation installers, landscape
maintenance, irrigation distributors, the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, the Honolulu Board of Water Supply and large land managers.
LICH conducted an inclusive, collaborative and transparent process to develop practical
and effective irrigation water conservation best management practices for the Hawaiian
Islands. The industry identified through literature search 55 water conservation
measures and conducted an outreach survey to the entire landscape industry top gather
comments.
The survey results showed that Hawaii’s landscape industry wants to save water by
using practical and cost-efficient water conservation best management practices with
over 70 percent of the responses desiring 95 percent of the 55 conservation measure,” said Allan Schildknecht, LICH Water Conservation Committee member.
With the outreach completed, the industry consolidated the 55 measures into 26 water
conservation measures consisting of the 16 installation measures and 10 maintenance
measures. LICH produced a 16-page color brochure illustrating the 26 water
conservation BMPs.
“The new LICH Landscape Irrigation Conservation BMPs color brochure shows users
how to save up to 50 percent of the wasted potable water used in outdoor irrigation
using practical and cost-efficient BMPs,” said Chris Dacus, LICH president.
LICH is now working on the implementation measures for advocacy, industry outreach,
LEED integration, professional conservation training and certification, consumer rebate
incentives, and research of water efficient irrigation equipment in actual Hawaii
conditions.
For additional information contact Chris Dacus at 808-927-3503 or email him at chris.dacus@gmail.com.
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