Expanding to the South

August 5, 2010

Is Georgia in trouble with water? With six or seven major rivers running down the state? When WaterWise was told by a prominent water expert that states in the Southeast were ripe for conservation, they asked Susette Horspool to look into it. After months of gathering information, some of it surprising, she attended a conference in July of the Georgia Association of Water Professionals in Savannah GA to meet key players and make an on-hand assessment.

Savannah is a historic city that requires sightseeing and meeting the locals. Restaurants are many and varied and, yes, could use water audits, according to a local ice cream and candy maker Susette talked with. During the conference she met state and local water officials and workers, and learned more about the water war the state has been having with its neighbors, as well as Georgia's plans for conservation.

Georgia, Alabama, Florida, and the Army Corps of Engineers have been caught up in a tri-state water war since 1989. Georgia is the main "victim," with water behind the Buford Dam (Lake Lanier) being split between Atlanta and its neighboring states, while Atlanta is growing at a fierce rate during an extended drought. In 2003 a federal court ordered Georgia to conserve water before demanding more, and this provides a tremendous opportunity for WaterWise.

Susette's assignment is to look to the southern states to see if we could expand there and, if so, which state would be smartest to enter first. From there we could branch out.

Long Beach City College's Clean Energy Workforce Training Program

June 9, 2010

WaterWise has recently been contracted by Long Beach City College as educators for their Clean Energy Workforce Training Program.  This program is designed to train new and displaced workers in the ever growing “green” field with appropriate job set skills that can further their career goals.  Also, the training programs modernize the skills of those presently employed in conventional construction operations.

The program is sponsored by the California Energy Commission and the California Employment Development Department, as well as partnerships with the City and Port of Long Beach, Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Network, and Siemens USA, among others. The training modules are provided to applicants at no cost.

The training program consists of the following:
CATEGORY 1 - RETRAINING PROGRAM
For current and displaced workers with sufficient experience in construction, plumbing, or other industrial trades.

Career training and certification tracks offered include:
• LEED Green Associate Architect/Designer (LEED GA Prep & Testing Fees Covered)
• Building Information Modeling Analyst (Autodesk BIM Certification)
• Building or Home Energy Rater (CalCERTS HERS Rater Training and Field Exam)
• Building Performance Analyst (CPBCA Training Home Performance with ENERGY STAR - Level 1)
• Water and/or Energy Auditor (Green Plumbers USA Accreditation)

CATEGORY 2 - PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM
For new or displaced workers with or without experience in construction or industrial trades.
Career training tracks offered include:
• Solar Hot Water Installation Assistant
• Solar Electric Installation Assistant
• Sustainable Landscape Design Assistant (Taught by WaterWise)
• Water/Energy Efficient Building & Retrofitting Specialist (Portion taught by WaterWise)