California Could Save Over 250 Billion Gallons of Water Annually via HERO Program

SAN DIEGO, July 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- With the threat of steep fines looming for residential water wasters throughout the state, 169 California communities are encouraging local residents to invest in water-saving upgrades through the HERO program.  Projections show that California could save over 250 billion gallons of water annually with the HERO Program. Home Energy Renovation Opportunity (HERO) partners with local governments to help property owners permanently reduce their demand for water and energy and to pay for the improvements over time through their property tax bills.

The HERO Program offers financing across 50 different product categories, which reduce water or energy consumption.  The water savings products include: high efficiency toilets, faucets, showerheads; drip irrigation systems; rainwater catchment systems; gray water systems; artificial turf; and drought tolerant landscaping.  The HERO Program has already funded $2.2 million in water efficiency improvements estimated to save homeowners and the communities more than 100 million gallons of water.       

"Every homeowner would like to reduce how much water they use," said Sue Frost, Vice Mayor of Citrus Heights. "The HERO Program enables homeowners to replace products in the home that consume a high amount of water with products that consume significantly less water.  By using less water, homeowners save money, which is then used to repay the investment they have made to their homes. In fact, with fines looming and water prices threatening to rise, investing in water-smart landscaping and water efficient products in the home will likely save our residents money in short order."

Estimates predict that a family could save 16,000 gallons of water each year by installing high-efficiency toilets alone. Participants can magnify those water savings by adding other water efficiency systems that can result in a one-third reduction in total water used – a savings of more than 50,000 gallons per home annually.  HERO is available to over 5 million households, which equates to an annual potential savings of over 250 billion gallons of water.  Even a 1% participation rate will save over 2.5 billion gallons of water annually. 

"Whether we're talking about switching from sod to artificial turf or investing in state-of-the-art irrigation systems that truly get the most value out of every drop of water that flows into a household, making lasting investments in a home's water efficiency is sure to pay off," said John Rossi, General Manager Western Municipal Water District in Riverside and Board Member for the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA).  "With water supplies becoming more uncertain, homeowners that make these kinds of investments will benefit immediately and in the long-term."

HERO is made possible by PACE legislation that provides an innovative way for property owners to finance energy- and water-efficiency improvements through their property tax payments.  Borrowers can choose the term of their loan (5-20 years), and interest on the payments is tax deductible. Additionally, PACE assessments can legally transfer to the new owner when the property is sold.

HERO has been adopted by 169 California cities and counties including the cities of San Diego, San Jose, Riverside, Anaheim, Fresno, and San Bernardino and the counties of San Diego, Kern, Riverside, San Bernardino, Napa, Solano, and Monterey, among others.

"Even though we had already signed up with other PACE Programs, we thought it was important to bring HERO to our community," said Supervisor Dave Roberts of San Diego County.  "We believe it's better to have multiple programs which brings more resources to our community to enable us to lower our water and energy usage."

The HERO program has received more than 10 awards nationally including the Governor's Environmental and Economic Leadership Award in California, the Urban Land Institute Best of the Best, and the Southern California Association of Governments President's Award for Excellence. To learn more about HERO visit www.HEROProgram.com or call 855-HERO-411 (855-437-6411).

SOURCE HERO Program