St. Johns River Water Management District

News Release

nr09-032

Florida Water Star^SM builder receives national award

PALATKA, Fla., May 19, 2009 - The St. Johns River Water Management District's Florida Water Star^SM program has received national recognition as a result of Hardwick General Contracting (HGC) Inc. being awarded the 2009 National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Green Building Award.

Florida Water Star^SM is a certification program that encourages water efficiency in household appliances, plumbing fixtures, irrigation systems and landscapes. Florida Water Star^SM promotes the economic and environmental benefits of efficiency in new home construction by offering resources and incentives to builders and home buyers who value water efficiency.

HGC won in the NAHB Green Remodeling - Project of the Year category for Amherst Place in the College Park neighborhood of Orlando. Amherst Place is a combination of two single-family residences, and the combined two-unit duplex is the first in Orlando to achieve Florida Water Star^SM, Green building and Energy Star certifications.

Greg Hardwick, president and owner of HGC, accepted the award during a ceremony in Dallas, Texas.

"I am proud and incredibly honored to be included among the best green projects in the country this year," Hardwick said. "I am amazed that we were selected, but at the same time, I feel a certain level of gratification that all of our hard work and dedication was rewarded. It's a good thing for our company and a great thing for a central Florida project to be recognized at the national level."

The existing home was approximately 800 square feet, which was increased to 1,150 square-feet, and a new attached 2,150 square-foot home was added. After the energy-saving construction and additions, the expected average monthly electric bills are less than $70 for the original home and $95 for the new home. The actual water consumption costs are currently averaging between $1.50 and $2 monthly for each home.

"Water conservation continues to be a vital aspect of the District's water supply plan," said District Governing Board Chairman Susan Hughes. "The building approach utilized by Mr. Hardwick's company, taking advantage of the practices set forth by the Florida Water Star^SM, Green and Energy Star programs, are a prime example of contributions being made every day in our District by committed people who want to protect our natural resources."

In addition to meeting the strenuous prerequisites set by Florida Water Star^SM, HGC went beyond those requirements with:

• Turf area accounts for less than 50 percent of the total landscaped area.
• A sufficient number of trees were planted to attain a minimum of 30 percent shade at maturity.
• All toilets are low flow.
• Three dual-flush toilets were installed.
• An Energy Star dishwasher that uses 6.5 gallons or less per cycle was installed.
• All bathroom sink faucets have a maximum flow rate of 2.5 grams per minute.

For information about the Florida Water Star^SM program, visit floridawaterstar.com or call program coordinator Deirdre Irwin at (386) 312-2310.

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