Free workshops to focus on conservation

How to reduce water consumption through the use of smart irrigation technology will be the focus of three free seminars to be held in Kona and Honolulu this month, which has been proclaimed Smart Irrigation Month, an initiative by the National Irrigation Association.

The association works to make both residential and commercial users of water for irrigating aware of the need to reduce water usage and how to go about doing that. Each of the three seminars will present a variety of strategies for reducing water consumption by at least 20 to 30 percent, and potentially much more.

Presented by sales representative Mel Palea III of Kona Irrigation, the seminars will help participants select the right technology for the maximum consumption reduction benefit, present a variety of conservation options and solutions, and help businesses be more cost efficient while also helping their customers save money.

The free seminars are open to residents, business owners and representatives of the agriculture, hotel/tourism, public, golf, sports and other sectors where irrigation is used. A free lunch, water saving product samples and T-shirts will be provided. There will two seminars at the Kona Irrigation office in Kona today and Friday, July 7, and one seminar in Honolulu, on Friday, July 20. The seminars are two hours, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Kona office is located at 73-5582 Olowalu St. below Home Depot in the Kaloko Light Industrial Area; the Honolulu office is located at 2629 Waiwai Loop, off Lagoon Drive near Honolulu Airport. To register, e-mail mpalea@konairrigation.com, and indicate which seminar you wish to attend. The three seminars are part of new statewide initiative by Kona Irrigation called Sustainable Hawaii, which will use actual case studies of water use reduction by various entities to encourage and promote both cost-saving strategies and sustainable practices. For more information, call Kona Irrigation at 329-1167.