Each month, as part of this newsletter, I will continue to share with you my ideas that may work for you as you strive to be more environmentally sustainable.

Roles and Responsibilities of the

Water Efficiency Specialist

The Water Efficiency Specialist, who should be a member of the Green Team, at a Subaru retailer plays a crucial role in managing and reducing water usage, ensuring that water is being used in the most efficient manner possible. Here are some specific roles and responsibilities:

1. Water Audits: Conducting comprehensive audits to assess the retailer’s water usage and identify areas where water is being wasted. This includes examining fixtures, irrigation systems, and cooling systems.

2. Efficiency Plans: Developing and implementing water efficiency plans based on audit findings. These plans may include recommendations such as installing low-flow faucets and toilets, using drought-tolerant landscaping, and repairing leaks promptly.

3. Water-Saving Solutions: Identifying and installing water-saving devices and technologies, such as water-efficient irrigation systems, rainwater harvesting systems, and water recycling systems.

4. Monitoring and Tracking: Continuously monitoring the retail facility’s water consumption to ensure that water-saving measures are effective. This includes tracking water usage patterns and calculating savings to measure the impact of implemented solutions. For Subaru retailers, here is where tracking utility usage patterns with ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager provides a considerable advantage.

5. Employee Training: Educating employees about water-saving practices and encouraging them to adopt these practices in their daily routines. This might include simple actions like turning off taps when not in use and reporting leaks.

6. Reporting and Communication: Providing regular reports on water usage and savings to management and communicating the benefits of water efficiency initiatives to all stakeholders, including staff and customers.

7. Sustainable Practices: Promoting and implementing other sustainable practices, such as reducing energy usage and supporting green initiatives, within the retail facility.

8. Collaboration: Working closely with other members of the Green Team and external partners to stay updated on the latest water-efficient technologies and best practices.

By fulfilling these responsibilities, the Water Efficiency Specialist helps the retailer reduce its water consumption, lower costs, and minimize its environmental footprint.

Next month we will provide Roles and Initiatives of other Green Team Members. Do you want to provide additional responsibilities for the Water Efficiency Specialist? E-mail me at chuck@greendealersupport.com

We hope that you have found this information useful. We want to learn what your Subaru retail facility is doing in the area of having a Water Efficiency Specialist. Be sure to include pictures whenever possible. Please reply to this e-mail with your information.

W&L Subaru -- Northumberland, PA

Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy

A worthwhile "Subaru Loves the Earth" collaborative effort occurred between W&L Subaru and the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy, involving a stream cleanup along Turtle Creek in nearby Lewisburg. Volunteers from the Pennsylvania Department of Enviromental Protection, Union County Conservation, and Americorps joined forces with NPC and W&L to remove debris and clear invasive plants around the creek bank. This endeavor certainly demonstrates W&L's commitment to environmental sustainability and responsibility.

You can watch the video here, with additional details here.

According to NPC, W&L Subaru's "involvement underscores a shared commitment to environmental stewardship, promoting the well-being of our local communities. What really stood out the most about this crew, though, was their genuine desire to help! They were so excited to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty and eager to learn more about NPC. Their drive to support NPC came from a place of deep caring for their community and for one another. Partnerships like these exemplify the power of collective action in driving positive change."

Subaru of Santa Fe, in Santa Fe, NM, has the GOAT (greatest of all time) idea when it comes to landscape maintenance. To handle the weeds in a 10-acre lot of untouched and unsightly land behind the retail facility, the retailer turned to goatscaping, an innovative and eco-friendly approach to landscaping that harnesses the natural grazing abilities of goats to manage overgrown vegetation and invasive plant species. This sustainable method not only reduces the need for harmful chemical herbicides and mechanical mowing (thereby minimizing carbon emissions) but also promotes biodiversity by allowing native plants to thrive. Goats are efficient foragers, capable of clearing large areas quickly while fertilizing the soil with their droppings, thereby enhancing soil health.

These voracious nibblers feasted from 9 to 5 for three days this past November. Their handlers provided water and remained with them throughout the day to ensure their safety while on the job. By choosing goatscaping, the retailer opted for not just a cost-effective solution that minimizes labor and machinery expenses but also joined a growing movement towards eco-friendly practices that are both inviting and effective with the help of these adorable munching machines!

Ciocca Subaru -- Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia Horticultural Society

Ciocca Subaru, in Philadelphia, PA, clearly indicates that "Subaru Loves the Earth" by their alliance with the Philadelphia Horticultural Society. In preparation for Earth Day 2024, Ciocca employees assisted PHS by unloading their semi-trailer full of trees to be planted and organizing them by their eventual location.

It's never too soon to start thinking about Earth Day 2025, coming up on Tuesday, April 22, 2025. The theme for 2025 is "Our Power, Our Planet." How green will you be in 2025? Let us know what actions you plan to take in 2025 by replying to this e-mail. We look forward to hearing about your endeavors.

Many of you post your Earth Day activities on social media. We peruse social media regularly to try to keep up with your "green" endeavors, and we are regularly impressed with what we see. Congratulations and keep up the good work! You just might find your retail facility featured in one of our upcoming newsletters since we plan to highlight Earth Day activities throughout the year. If there is an activity of which you are especially proud, please give us a "heads up" by replying to this e-mail and include the appropriate links to your social media postings or to your web site.

Green Dealer Support neither endorses nor promotes any particular product or company. We are merely offering an example of what is available, should you decide to move forward with any information you read about in this newsletter.