Residents of Southern California are all too aware of the drought conditions their region has experienced recently. Two years since Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency and ordered water restrictions, both residents and businesses continue to monitor landscaping water use. However, unlike many individuals around the world, San Diegans have ample availability of clean water for everyday use.
It is with this in mind that Heaviland Landscape Management has begun a social responsibility initiative to benefit charity: water, a nonprofit organization that provides clean water to people in developing nations. In June, Heaviland began to donate 1% of the annualized contracted amount of any new landscape maintenance or construction project.
“At Heaviland Landscape Management, we understand how precious water is,” said Tom Heaviland, president of Heaviland Landscape Management. “In developing countries, scarce water can mean spending eight hours a day collecting water that might not be safe to drink. Clean water changes everything.”
Heaviland’s leadership team chose a water-related foundation to support because water availability is a valuable resource and a cornerstone of the landscaping industry. In 2015, Heaviland Landscape Management completed turf removal and reclaimed water retrofit projects that will save San Diego over 19 million gallons of potable water annually.
“Along with doing our part to reduce the water usage of the properties we maintain, we’re also helping bring clean water to communities in developing countries,” said Heaviland.
Founded in 2006, charity: water has helped fund 19,819 projects in 24 countries, benefiting over 6.1 million people with access to clean water. Existing Heaviland clients and San Diego citizens are also invited to participate in the program by making a donation on Heaviland’s designated charity: water page.