Reclamation's Provo Area Office in Utah Recognized with the 2016 Federal Energy & Water Management Award

Written by: Stephen Major

The Provo Area Office receiving the 2016 Federal Energy & Water Management Award.The Bureau of Reclamation’s Provo Area Office in Utah earned three awards in 2016, demonstrating the Bureau’s commitment to environmental sustainability and excellence. These included the Department of the Interior’s Environmental Achievement Award (Building the Future Award), the Federal Energy and Water Management Award, and Interior's Customer Service Award (Water Project Coordinator Initiative).

The office implemented a suite of energy and water conservation measures over the course of five years that earned them the first two awards. Improvements included a solar power system designed to meet a quarter of the building’s electricity needs; rainwater harvesting; and xeriscape arid weather plants. Other amenities included with these improvements were an irrigation system that better manages water usage; improved heating and cooling systems; new plumbing; and more energy-efficient lighting.

The upgrades resulted in a 47 percent reduction in energy use, a 46 percent reduction in water use, and a 47 percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions per year and earned the office 100 percent conformance with the Guiding Principles for Federal Leadership in High Performance and Sustainable Buildings-Existing Buildings.

Reclamation Civil Engineer Cary Southworth states, “The office has taken important steps over the past five years to make the building sustainable by lowering emissions and energy use by almost 50 percent. Attending the award ceremony really brought home the efforts that the federal government is making to save energy and reduce the budget spent on energy.”

Constructed in 1984, the PAO building is a 57,000 square-foot facility located 44 miles south of Salt Lake City, Utah, on the southern end of the City of Provo. With office space for 140 occupants, a concrete and soils testing laboratory, and several large storage bays, the building accommodates employees from the Department of Agriculture, the Central Utah Project Completion Act Office, and the Central Utah Project Federal Credit Union.

Reclamation Civil Engineer Eugene Hawks adds, “These efforts had a positive impact on the comfort of the building as well as cutting down on energy costs. Simple but good design can pay off in many ways. To be recognized for this work was - as they say - the icing on the cake.”

Additionally, 18 employees from the PAO received Interior's 2016 Customer Service Award (Water Project Coordinator Initiative) for volunteering to serve as Water Project Coordinators. This initiative provides an avenue for Reclamation’s customers to actively interact with staff, provide valuable information to customers regarding Federal programs, policies, and procedures, and gives customers a single point of contact who will take the time to courteously and effectively address the customer’s needs.

Reclamation Civil Engineer Chad Savage said, “This award demonstrates the importance of the Water Project Coordinator Initiative. Many times, big government and customer service do not go together in the public's opinion. The Water Project Coordinator Initiative is changing that opinion and it is making a positive difference for our contracted partners as well as for the efficiency of our office.”

The Provo Area Office was awarded the Customer Service Award for the Water Project Coordinator Initiative in July of 2016. It was later recognized for the Interior Environmental Achievement Award and the Federal Energy and Water Management Award in a Washington, DC, ceremony at the Department of the Interior in December 2016.

Published on January 05, 2017