RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. – National CORE (National CORE), one of the nation’s largest and most innovative nonprofit community builders, will receive the Water Conservation of the Year Award from the San Bernardino County Water Conference for an ambitious program to limit water usage at its Southern California properties.
National CORE’s “Doing Our Part” initiative, which combines resident education with physical improvements and upgrades such as turf removal and high water-efficient fixtures, will be honored during the 10th Annual San Bernardino County Water Conference Aug. 12 at the Ontario Convention Center.
The IE H2O Awards recognize individuals or businesses who have made unique efforts to conserve water on a large scale. Five awards are handed out in various categories during the water conference, presented by the Building Industry Association of Southern California, Baldy View Chapter.
“Ensuring a reliable water supply is a priority for the Building Industry Association and recognizing the efforts of those who conserve water is an important part of the San Bernardino County Water Conference,” said Carlos Rodriguez, Chief Executive Office of the BIA Baldy View Chapter. “The dedication of National CORE to conservation is admirable, we are honored to present them with this award.”
National CORE launched “Doing Our Part” in 2015 amid one of the worst droughts in California history. Since then, more than 48 million gallons of water have been saved through conservation efforts that include:

  • Turf removal and smart irrigation. To date, nearly a quarter of a million square feet of turf has been replaced with drought-tolerant plants.
  • Installation of high efficiency toilets, shower heads and flow restrictors, saving 26.6 million gallons of water per year.
  • Installation of high efficiency front load washers, saving 9.3 million gallons of water per year.
  • Careful monitoring of water usage at each property. Using information collected by WegoWise, National CORE has been able to triage a long list of potential retrofit projects, and identify those with the highest priority. That data is shared with on-site staff so that they’re familiar with every drop of water used.

In addition, National CORE has started a Most Water Efficient Community competition to engage residents in water conservation efforts. In August, residents at the property with the largest reduction in water usage will have the chance to win prizes ranging from gift cards, a big-screen television and tickets to Disneyland.
“Effective conservation begins by understanding how we’re using water, then taking the necessary steps to preserve this essential natural resource,” said Steve PonTell, President and Chief Executive Officer of National CORE. “We’re proud of what we’ve been able to do so far, but realize its is only the beginning.”
For more information on National CORE’s water conservation efforts, please visit: https://nationalcore.org/news/conservation/
 
About National CORE
National CORE, based in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit developers of affordable housing. National CORE manages nearly 9,000 affordable, senior and market-rate units in California, Arkansas, Texas and Florida. Over the past two decades, its social services partner, Hope through Housing Foundation, has provided more than 2 million hours in supportive services to enhance quality of life, including preschool, afterschool, senior wellness and upward mobility programs. For more information on both organizations, please visit www.nationalcore.org.