Fairview Resident Named North Texas’
Water Genius
WYLIE, Texas—After reviewing creative and effective water-saving tips from people in the North Texas Municipal Water District (NTMWD) service area, the NTMWD has named its first-ever Water Genius.
Paul Westbrook of Fairview was named the area’s most water-wise resident as part of the NTMWD’s Water Genius contest. The contest invited NTMWD service area members to nominate friends, neighbors, family or themselves for the chance to win a $1,500 gift card for water-wise purchases.
More than 100 people submitted entries for the contest, which began during Smart Irrigation Month in July and extended through August. Water Genius is an outreach component of Water IQ, a statewide water awareness public education campaign implemented by the NTMWD to encourage wise and efficient use of water.
“It’s very exciting to win,” said Westbrook, who has a passion for saving energy and water and who serves on environmental committees in Fairview. “I saw the contest announcement in the McKinney newspaper, and so I decided to submit what we do at our home. Before I even knew I was the winner, I was still trying to get the word out about water conservation, and I was sending tips for our Fairview monthly newsletter.”
Westbrook’s water-saving practices stood out because of their effectiveness and adaptability. His entry rose to the top due to the multiple ways his family demonstrates stewardship of water, and his willingness to educate others on practical and successful ways to conserve water by providing tours of his home.
Westbrook’s home, which he and his wife Elena designed, includes: indoor water-efficient fixtures; rainwater collection tanks; a 2.2-acre yard filled with native Texas grasses and plants that require no irrigation; solar technologies for heating water; and an efficient common-wall plumbing system that allows hot water to reach each fixture faster. Westbrook’s family of three also saves water by using an average of just 2,700 gallons a month, or on average 30 gallons per capita per day. The state’s goal for water use is 140 gallons per capita per day.
The North Texas Municipal Water District congratulates Paul Westbrook and the many other North Texas residents for sharing their water-saving tips and being water-wise,” said Jim Parks, NTMWD executive director. “Through the use of contests such as Water Genius and the continued implementation of the Water IQ awareness program, we encourage consumers in our service area to evaluate their water usage and implement new habits for conserving water such as those provided by Paul Westbrook.”
Westbrook will receive a $1,500 gift card to a local home improvement store for water-wise purchases, such as low-flow toilets, water-saving appliances, soaker hoses, mulch or drought-tolerant plants, to continue his water-wise habits.
Other creative tips submitted for the Water Genius contest included: timed showers, using less water for kids’ baths by establishing a tub “fill line,” using kiddie-pool water on plants, placing buckets in the yard when it rains and saving the rain water for another use and installing landscaping at the bottom of a sloped yard to curb runoff and erosion.
Judges included the NTMWD; Carole Baker, the executive director of the nonprofit organization Texas Water Foundation; and EnviroMedia Social Marketing.
About the North Texas Municipal Water District
The NTMWD provides water to over 1.6 million customers, and the wise and efficient use of our water supply is key to meeting the current and future water needs of the region served. The NTMWD directly serves the following cities and/or water supply agencies: Allen, Farmersville, Forney, Frisco, Garland, Mesquite, McKinney, Plano, Princeton, Richardson, Royse City, Rockwall, Wylie, Bonham, Caddo Basin S.U.D., Cash S.U.D., College Mound W.S.C., Copeville S.U.D., East Fork S.U.D., Fairview, Fate, Forney Lake W.S.C., Gastonia-Scurry S.U.D., Greater Texoma Utility Authority (GTUA), Josephine, Kaufman, Kaufman Four-One, Lavon W.S.C., Little Elm, Lucas, Melissa, Milligan W.S.C., Mt. Zion W.S.C., Murphy, Nevada W.S.C., North Collin W.S.C., Parker, Prosper, Rose Hill S.U.D., Rowlett, Sachse, Seis Lagos U.D., Sunnyvale, Terrell and Wylie Northeast S.U.D.
For more information, please visit www.WaterIQ.org.