PHOENIX, AZ—More than 30 companies participated in Ewing’s third Water Summit held recently in Seattle, Wash. A biannual event, Ewing’s Water Summit provides a platform for industry professionals from across the country to explore important and timely issues pertaining to water management and conservation.
“Our goal with the Summit is to bring together industry professionals with varying backgrounds, areas of expertise and opinions to engage in a thoughtful dialogue about water management and conservation,” said Douglas W. York, president of Ewing. “It is important to explore our similarities—as well as our differences—in order to understand how the water scarcity issue is affecting all facets of the Green Industry.”
Foreseeing the water conservation movement in the Green Industry, Ewing hosted its first Water Summit in the heart of Napa Valley in 2004, bringing together forward-thinking industry professionals to discuss the imminence of a water-short future. Since then, Ewing has continued to host a Water Summit every two years, hosting their second Water Summit in Napa Valley in 2006.
“It has always been important for Ewing to educate industry professionals about timely issues pertaining to water management and conservation,” said Warren Gorowitz, Ewing’s national water management products sales manager.
“A firm understanding of the value of water in our industry and how to cut down on water waste will boost our customers’ credibility and value in the marketplace.”
Offered in collaboration with Hunter Industries, the Water Summit’s highly interactive two-day program included a broad spectrum of perspectives. Topics included:
Water Follies: The Impact of Groundwater Pumping on the Environment, presented by Robert Glennon, Morris K. Udall Professor of Law and Public Policy at The University of Arizona’s James E. Rogers College of Law;
Prudently Managing Sports Field Irrigation, presented by Steve Wightman, Stadium and Field Manager for Qualcomm Stadium, home of the San Diego Chargers;
New Water Efficiency Infrastructure – A Look Ahead: A Municipal Perspective, presented by Patrick Griffiths, Water Resources Coordinator for the City of Bend, Oregon;
The Future is Your Decision: Outlook on the Economy 2009 & Beyond, presented by Alan Beaulieu, Institute for Trend Research;
The Big Picture: American Landscapes & Irrigation Practices in a Water-Short Future,presented by Amy Vickers, Amy Vickers & Associates, Inc.
Ewing’s speaker series concluded with a lively roundtable discussion with Ewing’s panel of esteemed presenters, and a final presentation by Marla Carter, a representative for Water For People—a nonprofit international development organization that supports safe drinking water and sanitation projects in developing countries.
Participants also enjoyed a series of networking opportunities designed to foster further discussion between attendees and speakers.
“My thoughts changed a bit on both water use and the landscape world; water purveyors cannot continue to ‘enable’ the landscape industry and try to do their job for them over the long term,” said speaker Patrick Griffiths. “If we can continue to work together, and get the licensed landscapers to also understand their role … the market will sort itself out with products and practices that work.”
Industry partners Baseline, Calsense, Tournesol Siteworks and the Irrigation Association also contributed to the success of the Summit.