Brian Vinchesi, an irrigation consultant with clients in the golf industry, was one of five WaterSense partners recognized by the EPA as a 2009 WaterSense Partners of the Year. Vinchesi is president of Irrigation Consulting in Pepperell, Mass.
“Our partners have demonstrated how collaboration and commitment to water efficiency can result in major savings for Americans,” said Peter S. Silva, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Water. More than 1,000 WaterSense partners helped Americans save 9.3 billion gallons of water in 2008. “By working together to promote WaterSense labeled products and other water-efficient behaviors, they are helping Americans save tremendously on water, energy and money on their utility bills.”
The following utilities, manufacturer, retailer and individual were recognized for their extraordinary efforts promoting WaterSense in 2008:
Promotional Partners of the Year:
Cobb County Water System, Marietta, Ga. (large utility)
James City Service Authority, Williamsburg, Va. (small utility)
Manufacturer Partner of the Year:
Kohler Co., Kohler, Wis.
Retailer Partner of the Year:
Lowe’s Companies, Inc., Mooresville, N.C.
Irrigation Partner of the Year:
Brian Vinchesi, Pepperell, Mass.
Vinchesi has made WaterSense a vital part of his company’s staff devel¬opment. In addition to requiring his employees to complete at least one WaterSense labeled certification program, Vinchesi, a WaterSense partner since 2007, leads by example, maintaining four certifications through the Irrigation Association that have earned the WaterSense label. Seven of his staff are also WaterSense partners, and his firm strives for designs that achieve a minimum of 80 percent efficiency and follow national green building program principles.
Beyond his consulting business, Vinchesi has 25 years of experience sharing his irrigation expertise through education and is currently chairman of the Irrigation Association Education Foundation. In 2008, while lecturing at six conferences and symposia and teaching nearly a dozen classes, Mr. Vinchesi focused on water efficiency and sustainable irrigation systems, helping to spread the word about WaterSense.
Working to coordinate efforts among a coalition of water purveyors, equipment manufacturers and irrigation professionals, Mr. Vinchesi has headed up the Irrigation Association’s Smart Water Application Technologies (SWAT) initiative since its inception in 2001. As part of the SWAT initiative, in 2008 he met with Massachusetts legislators and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection to promote WaterSense. Under Vinchesi’s leadership and in coordination with EPA, the SWAT committee has been developing testing protocols to measure the performance of weather-based irrigation controllers and soil moisture sensors, which continue to be a crucial part of WaterSense specification for irrigation controllers.