LAS VEGAS, February 01, 2023–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Plumbing Manufacturers International’s leadership and staff are leading a crusade for safe, clean water for future generations. Their latest stop is the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) 2023, where they are working this week to persuade policymakers and potential allies about the urgency of the association’s PMI’s Rethink Water initiative.

“All across the globe, we all need to rethink how we use water every day,” says Kerry Stackpole, PMI’s CEO and executive director. “Not only how do we use it, but how do we save as much as possible and make it safe for those who will need it in the future. Of all the facets of climate change, its impact on water may be the most profound. “

The enormousness of the challenge makes it somewhat intimidating to address. Where does one begin? Looking at it from the perspective of plumbing manufacturing, Stackpole said he believes you start with your strengths. “For more than 15 years, our industry has been making toilets, showerheads, faucets and other plumbing products that use water more efficiently than the older products most people still have in their homes. We simply need to install more of these WaterSense products, and the water savings will be substantial,” he explains.

That’s why PMI’s first Rethink Water project is legacy product replacement – replacing older, inefficient products with new, more-efficient WaterSense models. At KBIS, PMI hosted a Power Break and Briefing today to inform members, policymakers, other guests and media about the urgency of this project and the need to establish a robust public-private partnership to accomplish it.

EPA’s successful WaterSense program has proved its ability to save water

An Environmental Protection Agency program started in 2006, WaterSense has so far saved 6.4 trillion gallons of water, including 1.1 trillion in the last year counted alone, according to the program’s latest accomplishments report. To be certified to bear the WaterSense label, a plumbing product must use at least 20% less water than a product meeting federal standards established in 1994 by the Energy Policy Act (EPAct).

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American households use about 10 trillion gallons of water each year – which means last year, WaterSense products saved an amount equal to 11% of the total amount used by US households. That’s no easy achievement, but it’s nowhere near the potential of the WaterSense program. That’s because many households still don’t have WaterSense plumbing products installed.

A 2022 GMP Research study commissioned by PMI found that only 23% of California residences have toilets meeting WaterSense standards. More than half of these residences have WaterSense showerheads and faucets, but a strong minority does not, the study found. An earlier GMP study commissioned by PMI found that most states have WaterSense statistics similar to California’s.

PMI estimates that up to 326 billion gallons of water can be saved over 30 years in California by replacing the 26.1 million toilets not up to WaterSense standards with WaterSense toilets. By accelerating the replacement of these toilets, 65.3 billion gallons can be saved within five years, and 95.7 billion gallons within 10 years. Achieving similar savings in all 50 states can increase the gallons saved into the trillions.

But numerical estimates do not reflect the current situation. Because water-efficiency standards are currently set by states, PMI and its allies have started advocating state-by-state for robust legacy product replacement programs, starting with California and other western states having water supplies hit hard by the drought. PMI California government affairs consultant Jerry Desmond and PMI technical director Kyle Thompson have broached legacy product replacement with California water officials, with the hopes of building the idea into a bill this year.

Legacy product replacement isn’t a new idea

In California, toilet replacement or rebate programs have been implemented in Southern California, San Francisco, and other regions and municipalities.

San Antonio, Texas, had a decade-long program that delivered and replaced toilets free of charge until virtually no inefficient toilets were left to replace. Programs replacing toilets free of charge or via rebates have been implemented throughout the nation, primarily at the county or municipal level, in places including Dallas/Fort Worth, Maui, New York City, Seattle, and Tucson. Some of the programs have low income requirements.

Because these programs save water, PMI would like to see legacy product replacement scaled up into statewide programs through which the total savings would be immense. “Part of our challenge is to get policymakers and allies comfortable with audacious, bold solutions,” Stackpole stated. Compared to other water-related solutions on the drawing board, such as desalination and rainwater catchment, legacy product replacement on a larger scale is relatively modest, he explained. “Half-way solutions won’t solve the water crisis. We have to think bigger.”

PMI Board of Directors President Sal Gattone of LIXIL is working closely with Stackpole and the PMI board members on the legacy product replacement challenge. “During this time of climate change and uncertainty, we all need to acquire the role of a conservationist,” Gattone stated. “Modern life relies on the easy availability of water. This access assures our health and safety and our very survival. Hence, we need to collectively respond to water crises and actively work together on sustainable solutions.”

About Plumbing Manufacturers International

Plumbing Manufacturers International (PMI) is the trade association of plumbing product manufacturers that produce more than 90% of the United States’ plumbing products, represent more than 150 iconic brands, and develop safe, reliable and innovative water-efficient plumbing technologies. PMI members contribute more than 464,000 jobs and $85.5 billion in economic impact to America’s economy.

With a vision of safe, responsible plumbing – always, PMI advocates for plumbing product performance contributing to water efficiency and savings, sustainability, public health and safety, and consumer satisfaction through its Rethink Water initiative and other programs. PMI members manufacture water-efficient toilets, urinals, faucets, showerheads and other products at more than 70 locations across the country and market them online and in more than 24,000 home improvement stores, hardware stores and showrooms in all 50 states. For more information on PMI, contact the organization at 1750 Tysons Blvd., Ste. 1500, McLean, Va., 22102; phone: 847-481-5500; fax: 847-481-5501. safeplumbing.org.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230201005140/en/

Contacts

Ray Valek, ray@valekco.com, 708-352-8695

The post At KBIS, Plumbing Producers Worldwide Promotes Rethink Water Initiative – A Campaign for Protected, Clear Water for Future Generations appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

HAUPPAUGE, NY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Upward Health announced today its selection by San Francisco Health Plan (SFHP) to deliver Enhanced Care Management (ECM) services to a high-complexity cohort of SFHP’s membership. SFHP provides health insurance to over 160,000 residents of San Francisco through California’s Medicaid program, Medi-Cal. ECM is a comprehensive, community-based care management service focused on both clinical and non-clinical needs. The program is part of the CalAIM (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal) multi-year plan to integrate social services and improve outcomes for Medi-Cal beneficiaries.

Upward Health recognized the partnership opportunity with SFHP as a natural fit. Upward Health has been delivering its in-home, whole-person model of care to high-risk and high-need patients across the country, including within California, for years. ECM similarly serves individuals with complex needs, categorized as unique Populations of Focus defined by the State of California’s Department of Health Care Services. The Populations of Focus include those suffering from homelessness, those managing serious mental illness or substance use disorders, those transitioning from incarceration, and several other vulnerable groups.

“We are excited about the chance to impact the patients that we care about most – patients who have fragmented care and who need help to access the support available in the community,” said Glen Moller, CEO of Upward Health. “We look forward to working with the outstanding team at SFHP to engage in this good work.” San Francisco County is the most recent addition to the counties in the state where Upward Health is providing ECM services.

Patients referred to ECM with Upward Health will work with a dedicated Care Specialist who will serve as the care manager providing support and coordination. ECM is a high-touch, person-centered program focused on coordinating physical, behavioral, and social services. Patients participating in ECM receive help with a range of services, including finding doctors, scheduling appointments, understanding and tracking medications, and finding and applying for community services such as housing supports.

“Upward Health’s commitment to underserved communities and to addressing the social determinants of health made them an easy choice,” said Yolanda Richardson, CEO of SFHP. “We look forward to this partnership and improving the health of our members with the greatest needs.”

ABOUT UPWARD HEALTH

Upward Health is an in-home multidisciplinary provider that partners with health plans and other risk-bearing entities to address the unique needs of the most high-risk, high-need users of the health care system today. Using a unique, in-home community-based approach to meeting a patient’s needs, Upward Health facilitates and delivers care that improves outcomes and the quality of life for every patient it serves. Upward Health has a measured Net Promoter Score of 86, among the highest in the healthcare industry. To learn more, please visit www.upwardhealth.com.

ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO HEALTH PLAN

About San Francisco Health Plan San Francisco Health Plan (SFHP) has a rating of 4 out of 5 in NCQA’s Medicaid Health Plan Ratings 2021. SFHP is a licensed community health plan providing affordable health coverage to over 160,000 low- and moderate-income families residing in San Francisco. SFHP is designed for and by the residents it serves—many of whom would not be able to otherwise obtain health care for themselves or their families. Through SFHP, members have access to a full spectrum of medical services including preventive care, hospitalization, prescription drugs, family planning, and substance abuse programs. SFHP’s mission is to improve health outcomes of the diverse San Francisco communities through successful partnerships. San Francisco Health Plan is also the third-party administrator for the nationally recognized Healthy San Francisco program. For more information on SFHP, visit www.sfhp.org.

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The San Francisco Chronicle is excited to unveil the SFNext initiative. A new team of seven talented journalists will focus on tapping into our diverse city to find solutions to its most challenging problems.

SFNext wants to take a different approach to local journalism. The project, which launched Friday, June 10, will be solutions-focused and include public forums, polling, reported stories, a newsletter and a weekly podcast called “Fixing Our City,” which debuts June 21. In SFNext’s first story, reporter Noah Arroyo examines the tough road to economic recovery for Downtown San Francisco.

Let’s meet the team behind SFNext:

SFNext Director Jonathan Krim

Courtesy of Jonathan Krim

Jonathan Krim
ProjectDirector

Krim joins The Chronicle with over four decades of experience in print and digital journalism. His career includes stints at the San Jose Mercury News, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal, during which he focused on local, international and business/tech news. He supervised coverage that won two Pulitzer Prizes and launched numerous digital initiatives.

“Civic engagement is vital to the health of any community,” he said. “We hope to connect with San Francisco residents from all areas and walks of life in a collaborative effort to address our great city’s most pressing difficulties.”

Krim is a native of New York and a graduate of the University of Montana. He currently lives in Oakland with his wife, Joyce; their dog, Toast, and their cat, Kona.

Courtesy of Noah Arroyo

Noah Arroyo
reporter

Arroyo is an award-winning, versatile journalist with a decade of experience covering local issues in San Francisco. He has spent most of his career examining the city’s intractable homelessness and housing-affordability crises, and is at home building reporting projects from the ground up. He previously wrote for the San Francisco Public Press and Mission Local.

“I thought for about a year that I was going to be a geologist,” Arroyo said. “Turns out there’s a lot of overlap, looking at minerals out in the field and poring over government documents.”

A native of Whittier, he attended San Francisco State University. He currently lives in the Tenderloin.

Courtesy of Adriana Rezal

Adriana Rezal
Data reporter

In addition to writing stories that focus on data as the key element, Rezal collaborates with other reporters to collect and analyze data.

Rezal covered local business, government and education news in the Greater Houston area while working as a reporter for the Community Impact newspaper. She then spent a summer in Chicago as a reporting intern for Borderless Magazine and wrote about immigration in the Midwest. She later gained national news experience while working as a data journalism intern for US News and World Report.

“I’m excited to play an active role in discussing the future of San Francisco by diving into the city’s data,” she said.

Rezal was raised in Baytown, Texas, a suburb east of Houston. She attended the University of Texas at Austin and graduated in 2019 with a degree in international relations and global studies with a minor in journalism.

Courtesy of Laura Wenus

Laura Wenus
Podcast host/reporter

Wenus will host SFNext’s upcoming podcast, “Fixing Our City.” She is a local multimedia journalist who has worked in digital, print and radio newsrooms on daily, breaking and enterprise stories.

Wenus comes to The Chronicle from the nonprofit San Francisco Public Press, where she helped launch and hosted the podcast “Civic,” examining local social and political issues, with a special focus on nonpartisan election coverage.

“The things that affect our day-to-day lives the most tend to be local, so I want to keep digging into how we as a city do things, what that means for people who live and work here, and what new approaches we could try,” Wenus said.

She has also covered San Francisco housing and development news for Mission Local, reported an audio series about long-term nursing care, and has been a producer for a live current affairs show on the public radio station KALW. She lives in the Castro.

Courtesy of Cintia Lopez

Cintia Lopez
Podcast producer/reporter

Lopez joins The Chronicle as producer and reporter for the “Fixing Our City” podcast.

She comes to The Chronicle from CapRadio in Sacramento, where she was a producer for their daily talk show, “Insight.” She has a background in newspaper and audio reporting from her previous jobs at WBUR in Boston and The Daily Democrat in Woodland, Calif.

“My first editor told me the best way to get to know a city you are reporting on is to get lost in it,” Lopez said. “I’m excited to do just that as I talk to people and get to know what they think of a city that is becoming my new home, while telling the stories that can help us create a better San Francisco.”

Lopez was raised mainly in the suburbs of Sacramento, where she attended community college before transferring to Sacramento State University and graduating with a degree in journalism.

Gary Baca
Podcast sound engineer

Audio engineer Gary BacaCourtesy of Gary Baca

With a background in independent films, DJing, radio and podcasts, Baca brings almost 10 years of multimedia experience to The Chronicle, including work on notable projects such as KQED’s “Rightnowish” as a producer. He has also worked at KPFA/KPFK in radio broadcasting.

“I want to bring light to the struggles people go through in an effort to create long-term solutions,” Baca said.

Born and raised in Richmond, Baca has spent the last decade living in Oakland.

Courtesy of Audrey Brown

Audrey Mei Yi Brown
Social media/engagement manager

Brown wants to use social media to create channels of thoughtful conversations to help reach residents beyond The Chronicle’s readership. Among other things, Brown will manage and moderate the @sfnext Twitter.

“I joined the SFNext team because I’m a San Franciscan who wants to play a role in healing my city,” Brown said. “I arrived in San Francisco when I was less than a year old, a Chinese American adoptee, and it will always be my first true home. Many of the city’s problems from my childhood persist today, and they’ve grown deep roots. I know it will take fresh thinking and dogged resolve for San Francisco to solve its problems, and I believe local journalists are uniquely positioned to surface solutions.”

Brown brings four years of environmental reporting experience, two years as a communications manager and a lifetime of living in and biking through the communities of San Francisco. She holds a master’s of science in journalism from Columbia University. Outside of work, you can likely find her biking through Golden Gate Park, rock climbing at Mission Cliffs or backpacking in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

About The San Francisco Chronicle
The San Francisco Chronicle (www.sfchronicle.com) is the largest newspaper in Northern California and the second largest on the West Coast. Acquired by the Hearst Corporation in 2000, The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 by Charles and Michael de Young and has been awarded six Pulitzer Prizes for journalistic excellence. Follow us on Twitter at @SFChronicle.

SFNext aims to involve city residents in finding solutions to some of San Francisco’s most pressing problems.

Send feedback, ideas and suggestions to sfnext@sfchronicle.com

Follow the discussion on Twitter: @SFNext

Listen to the “Fixing Our City” podcast: sfchronicle.com/fixing-our-city

Sign up for our newsletter: sfchronicle.com/newsletters/sf-next

See Morecollapse

The post Meet the crew behind SFNext, a brand new San Francisco Chronicle initiative to assist town clear up essential points appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Supervisor Dean Preston announced the initiative at a press conference Tuesday morning. It would need about 9,000 valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.

The goal is to incentivize property investors who leave homes vacant until the market is in their favor to list or rent the property.

“These are folks who are buying and selling housing in San Francisco as if they’re buying and selling stocks on the stock market. They couldn’t care less about providing homes for anyone, and we are going to put an end to it with the empty homes tax,” Supervisor Preston said.

He estimates the tax could bring in about $38 million dollars a year. He proposes that the money go toward preventing homelessness and affordable housing.

RELATED: SF considers taxing vacant apartments to help with housing crisis; new report shows 40K empty units

The tax rate would be based on the property’s size and how long it has been vacant. For instance, a unit smaller than 1,000 square feet would be taxed $2,500 for one year, $10,000 for three years. A home that is 20,000 or more square feet would be taxed $20,000 for its third year of sitting vacant.

Exemptions would include a property being remodeled, a natural disaster or a landlord who is in long term care or has died.

VIDEO: SF metro area remains most expensive place to live in US

“If it’s a legitimate, good faith reason that there’s some kind of vacancy, this tax is not going to tax. But if you are in the business of holding units off the market for prolonged periods of time, we’re not only going to tax you but each year of that vacancy that tax is going to go up,” Preston said.

Some critics call this proposed tax a distraction and say what city leaders really need to focus on is building more affordable housing.

“When we look at the size of our shortage and how many houses we need to build, this is a drop in the bucket. San Francisco has a history of not building enough housing and the Board Of Supervisors is trying to avoid actually fixing the problem ,” said Corey Smith, the deputy director of the Housing Action Coalition.

RELATED: Wealthy Bay Area city pushes back against new housing proposal

The Board of Supervisors recently voted down a plan to build an apartment building on the valet parking lot of a Nordstrom Department Store.

Preston’s office says it isn’t an either/or situation.

Preston says the city of Vancouver implemented a similar tax and saw vacancies decrease by 20%.

Copyright © 2022 KGO-TV. All rights reserved.

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Diving letter:

• A new initiative from the San Francisco nonprofit Downtown Community Benefit District (Downtown CBD) will develop a plan of action to rethink 43 blocks of downtown neighborhoods to manage the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Downtown CBD has selected San Francisco-based urban planning firm SITELAB urban studio to develop a series of recommendations to rethink the Financial District and historic Jackson Square neighborhood, which have seen visitor and business decline in the wake of the pandemic. The two groups will gather input from the community and coordinate with the city on a number of guidelines to make the area more vibrant and engaging for residents and to adapt to a future that may not be the traditional 9-to-5. Includes pendulum pattern.
• “My vision is to promote downtown as a neighborhood for everyone so that San Francisco residents can live, work and play here,” said Robbie Silver, Executive Director of Downtown CBD. He added that the area had already developed but the pandemic “really gives a sense of urgency”.

Dive Insight:

With office workers staying at home during the pandemic, business-oriented city centers emptied. A current report from the Urban Land Institute and PwC US, based on input from nearly 1,700 real estate experts, found that downtown areas need flexibility, especially when employees continue to have partially remote schedules that don’t keep offices busy. The impact, the report says, affects not only offices, but restaurants and shops that rely on office workers as well.

Silver said the Financial District, which is the center of the new initiative, is a prime example of an urban area that has suffered from the pandemic. The area, he said, is defined by “bankers in suits who work from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., maybe have a drink after dinner and then take the transport home.” Like many business development districts, Downtown CBD began in January 2020 with goals including improving the cleanliness and safety of the district, creating and marketing an identity for the district, and “activating” its public spaces region.

Laura Crescimano, Co-Founder and Director of SITELAB, said the initiative is about “actions that can help downtown move into its next era,” looking at how urban design is “the glue that holds us together.” “. The group will organize community engagement sessions across the city to get a feel for how people see the city center and what they would like to see of what the neighborhood has to offer. The groups will then work with city officials and the mayor’s office to develop recommendations and an action plan that covers everything from public art to retail space to community programs.

“If you look at European city centers and other cities with vibrant city centers, they tend to fulfill a multifunctional, multifunctional role,” said Crescimano. “What the ‘multi’ means for us is one of the big questions we have to answer.”

Cities across the country are considering theirs Inner cities are more inviting and flexible. In Boston, biotech laboratories are moving into vacant office buildings. Cities offered Incentives for restaurants to move tables outside and to create more attractive open spaces in city centers. Open street programs have also redesigned some urban corridors with public art and performances, including in New York’s Meatpacking District.

A 2020 report from the Boston University Initiative on Cities, based on a survey of 130 mayors, found that 60% of respondents felt that downtown office buildings would be “less desirable” in the future. However, Katharine Lusk, co-director of the initiative, said the 2021 poll, due out this month, showed that mayors are now less concerned about the shift to remote work. “We suspect that the worst-case forecasts for the inner cities have not been realized in most parts of the country,” said Lusk in an email.

Downtown CBD and SITELAB said it was too early to know what changes downtown San Francisco could take on. In the short term, Silver’s group is planning its first public outdoor art event, a projection mapping of the work of local artists, which will illuminate four downtown buildings in December, which he believes will help kick-start the neighborhood’s revitalization.

The post Initiative will rethink San Francisco downtown for ‘post-COVID’ work patterns appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis presents Dr. Sylvia Earle the award

Mike Gallagher receives Blue Marble Award

Lt Governor Kounalakis & Former Prime Minister of Greece Mr. George Papandreou at Blue Marble Event

Lt. California Governor Eleni Kounalakis presents the BLUE MARBLE AWARD to legendary marine scientist Dr. Sylvia Earle

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, June 10, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ – The Bay Ecotarium and its seven branches, including the Bay Institute, the Aquarium of the Bay, Sea., Celebrate 40 years of environmental stewardship, California’s environmental policy Lion Center, Studio Aqua, Bay Academy, Bay Model and Eco Expeditions welcomed former Greek Prime Minister His Excellency George Papandreou and Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis to an outdoor blue carpet event at the Hayes Mansion in San Jose.

“It is time for nations to unite for a green democracy and tackle climate crises,” said former Greek Prime Minister, SE George Papandreou, in his opening address to over 160 CEOs and executives gathered in Silicon Valley.

“We are delighted with the commitment of this White House to combat climate change with concrete steps and decisive political changes. The Bay Ecotarium will offer a unique platform to stimulate generation change. 75 years ago, San Francisco produced the United Nations that changed the world and it is time to bring United Nature to life, ”said George Jacob FRCGS, President and CEO.

The legendary ocean researcher Dr. Sylvia Earle received a standing ovation for her lifelong contribution to sustainable oceans. “I hope you can take something away from this evening, the realization that right now we have the opportunity to turn away from what we experienced during this period of decline in the Anthropocene. We have the opportunity to transform this from decline into relaxation and to make peace with nature, with the sea, with the planet and maybe even with each other, ”said Sylvia in her moving acceptance speech when she received the award from Lt. Governor Kounalakis accepted. “Thank you George Jacob for creating this vision, building on this idea – which was already a good idea – making a big difference in this part of the world and educating people who stumbled upon and got away from this great place at Pier 39. It’s a great place to be are “enlightened ….”

“We really have an American icon here – a pioneer in every way. Sylvia, thank you for being here with us – for joining us, for supporting this incredibly important project and for getting up every day and being our bravest fighter in our fight against climate change and the fight to protect our oceans! “Said Eleni Kounalakis, Lieutenant Governor of California, when she met Dr. Earle presented the Blue Marble Award 2021.

The event also honored Michael Gallagher, Founding Director of Under Water World 25 years ago, with a moving tribute to his brother Patrick Gallagher, chaired by Caroline Beteta, CEO of Visit California and Roger Dow, President & CEO of US Travel.

Vicki de Witt
Bay.org
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