One Step at a Time: Businesses Make a Difference for Clean and Plentiful Water

As part of The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary’s outreach program, leading watershed organizations in southern New Jersey worked with businesses to promote land management that protects water quality and helps restore the Kirkwood-Cohansey aquifer. In 2016, Citizens United to Protect the Maurice River and Its Tributaries, Inc. (CUMR) led the program’s outreach efforts in our watershed. CUMR met with Cumberland County businesses, large tract owners and non-profits interested in promoting both community and environmental health through water conservation and energy efficiency.
Participants included Amcor, Capitol Bank, Cumberland Family Medical, Heart Path Acupuncture, Latorre Hardware, Millville Housing Authority, Millville Public Library, Pampered Pup Luxury Pet Resort, Serene Touch Center, WheatonArts Cultural Center and Wheaton Real Estate.
In meetings and at program activities, professionals from these businesses shared ongoing water and energy conservation projects at their place of business with CUMR’s Program Manager, Karla Rossini. Since moving into their historic factory, Amcor has repaired piping to minimize the amount of water lost to leakage, WheatonArts Cultural Center has reduced run-off by incorporating a rain garden, Heart Path Acupuncture conserves water through simple yet effective behaviors and LaTorre Hardware helps lessen water contamination by providing their customers with organic alternatives for gardens.
All of these businesses expressed enthusiasm for implementing new blue-minded management practices unveiled during program activities and in the program materials, The Blue Guide for Water Conservation: Reduce your water use at home, work and play. This is a wonderful resource for any individual who would like to reduce their business’s footprint on the water resource, and promote clean and plentiful water for future generations.
In 2017, CU Maurice River will be leading a new initiative that recognizes environmentally-conscious residences, businesses and large tract owners in the Maurice River Watershed through a certification program. If you are interested in learning how you can become a certified property, contact CUMR’s Program Manager, Karla Rossini, at (856) 305-3238 or email her at Karla.Rossini@CUMauriceRiver.org.