The North Florida Green Chamber Water Quality & Resource Award is given to the best candidate that demonstrates superior accomplishment in the categories below or other activities that result in groundwater or surface water quality improvements, respond to water quality threats and improve clean water resource availability and projections. DEADLINE TO APPLY IS JULY 31st

Category 1: Creative Landscape Award.  Successful candidate uses engineering design principals of Low Impact Development to reduce or eliminate flow of stormwater and potential contaminants carried with it from the property to receiving waters or that uses natural systems to manage stormwater and contaminants.  Living shorelines, xeriscaping and concepts included in the low impact design manual are good examples as well as other efforts to use existing natural landscape or restoring landscape in order to provide water quality improvement and wildlife habitat. https://www.coj.net/departments/neighborhoods/docs/environmental-quality/epb-sym-2010---lowimpactdev.aspx.  

Category 2: Conservation and Water Reuse Award.  Successful candidate successfully demonstrates sustainability through reduction of consumption and reuse of resources.  Examples include water conservation through low flow facilities and water reuse from converting wastewater or stormwater into water that can be reused for other purposes. Types of reuse include: urban reuse, agricultural reuse (irrigation), environmental reuse, industrial reuse. Reuse may include irrigation of gardens and agricultural fields.  Reused water may also be directed toward fulfilling certain needs in residences (e.g. toilet flushing), businesses, and industry. Creative reductions in energy use and resource recycling are included.

Category 3: Stormwater Management Award. Successful candidate demonstrates creative and beneficial  stormwater management activities in their Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans, either on behalf of their own facility or their client’s, by keeping potential contaminants from stormwater exposure at covered industrial sites or optimizing erosion and sedimentation controls at construction sites.

Category 4: Wetland Protections Award. Candidate demonstrates successful efforts in protecting and enhancing wetlands through project design that avoids impacts to wetlands, including secondary impacts, enhancing wetlands through exotic species removal and hydrologic restoration or other efforts that preserve and expand wetland functions.