NCRES Speakers Series: What is Net Zero Water?

Join Becky Fedak of The Brendle Group as she discusses Net Zero Water (NZW) with us. Net Zero Water is a concept that aims to change the way water resources are managed; it focuses on making water resource planning decisions based on local conditions rather than targeting historical demand and allowing water quality impacts to flow downstream. The NZW concept helps individuals and organizations become water neutral by understanding your water footprint and taking action to reduce consumption and improve water quality whether you are a building owner, company, school campus, or community. Objectives of the NZW initiative include the following:

· Recognizing financial and environmental benefits from reducing water use and quality impacts.

· Promoting water stewardship and recognizing water as a precious resource essential to protecting our economy, security, lifestyles, and values.

· Providing technical guidance and assistance to enhance the utilization and protection of water resources from the building scale to an entire watershed.

To pilot the concept, an initiative to develop a toolkit to support NZW planning at the building scale was launched in October 2013 at the Net Zero Cities conference in Fort Collins, Colorado. A team of five Fort Collins companies partnered to develop a user-friendly Microsoft Excel-based analysis tool and companion guidebook. Through the initiative, a technical advisory group was formed to gather technical expertise and input while a wide array of stakeholders were also engaged for their input and ideas. The building-scale toolkit was officially launched in Fall 2015, helping residents and businesses:

· Establish a Baseline Water Footprint,

· Set Goals,

· Explore Footprint Reduction Strategies, and

· Implement your Net Zero Water Plan

Becky leads Brendle Group’s water and climate practice areas and supports a wide range of projects, including water footprinting and action planning; on-site energy, water, and waste assessments; green infrastructure implementation; climate action and sustainability planning; greenhouse gas inventories; and energy profiling. She also has extensive experience as a water resources engineer and is well-versed in water operations modeling and large-scale water resources planning and design.

Becky supplements her technical expertise with a comprehensive set of business skills, including project management, triple bottom line analysis, and business plan development. In addition, Becky is a founding team member and Technical Director of Running Water International, a social enterprise in Kenya, Africa that addresses water resource challenges of developing regions.

The presentation will be held at Odell Brewing Company’s tap room at 800 E. Lincoln Avenue in Fort Collins. Doors open at 7 pm with presentation commencing at 7:30 and running through 8:30 pm.

There is a $5.00 entry fee for non-members but the event is Free for CRES Members (includes one complimentary beverage).

To join CRES: http://www.cres-energy.org/individual-membership-signup/