NTMWD Recognized as a Texan by Nature 20 Honoree

Companies Across the State of Texas Recognized in the TxN 20 for Their Leadership in Conservation & Sustainability

In October, Texan by Nature (TxN), a Texas-led conservation non-profit founded by former First Lady Laura Bush, announced the honorees of the 2nd annual Texan by Nature 20 (TxN 20) – an official ranking of companies with Texas operations that have made a demonstrative commitment to conservation. North Texas Municipal Water District was among twenty organizations recognized for their dedication and commitment to conservation through investment and volunteerism, measurement and reporting of spending and impact on conservation efforts, and employee engagement.

“From innovative water reuse solutions such as constructed wetlands that filter water nature’s way to restoring 17,000 acres of land around the soon to be constructed Bois d’Arc Lake, North Texas Municipal Water District is serving 1.8 million North Texans while setting an example for other water districts around the world to follow,” said Joni Carswell, CEO & President of Texan by Nature. “We are excited to honor North Texas Municipal Water District’s innovation and leadership in our newly added Municipal Services Industry category for the 2020 Texan by Nature 20.”

NTMWD received this prestigious recognition in large part for its sustainable business strategy that focuses on conservation and water reuse as critical ways to manage a finite supply of water. In fact, NTMWD relies on water conservation and reuse to account for nearly one-quarter of its future water supplies operating the largest indirect wastewater effluent recovery program in Texas, diverting and reusing approximately 20 billion gallons annually.

NTMWD was also recognized as a statewide leader in education programs for water conservation, promoting water conservation, with a significant focus on educating the public about ways to use water more efficiently; its use of an environmentally sound approach to managing municipal solid waste and diverted about 50,000 tons of yard waste from the landfill to their composting facility; and its proactive effort to meet future regional needs, with the construction of Bois d’Arc Lake, a 16,641-acre reservoir in Fannin County and preparations for the Sister Grove Regional Water Resource Recovery Facility (RWRRF) to be located just north of the town of New Hope.

The Texan by Nature website has the full list of NTMWD programs and initiatives that lead to their inclusion as one of the first municipal services industries to be recognized in the Texan by Nature 20. The City of San Antonio Office of Sustainability (CoSA OS) was also recognized.

The TxN 20 recognizes the best and most innovative work in conservation coming from Texas-based business and operations. As part of the TxN 20, Texan by Nature honors companies across 12 industries in the Lone Star State whose ingenuity are forging new, beneficial paths in conservation. With 168 million acres of land paired with global leadership across multiple industries, Texas is fortunate to have industry leaders who see the value in partnering with conservation initiatives and developing innovative, sustainable methods and processes within their business.

A catalyst for thought leadership, innovative partnerships, and community-led solutions, Texan by Nature has been working with the Texas business community to implement Texas-led conservation practices, partnerships, and resources. The TxN 20 provides not only recognition to honorees, but a catalogue of best practices and metrics to industry peers.

“Congratulations to this year’s TxN 20! These companies are leaders in their industry and they are innovators in conservation. I am thrilled to recognize their efforts, and I encourage other companies to follow their example. Together, we can keep Texas thriving for the next generation,” said former First Lady and Texan by Nature founder, Laura Bush.

The TxN 20 honorees were selected based upon a stated dedication to conservation, demonstrated commitment to conservation via investment and volunteerism, measurement and reporting of spending and impact on conservation efforts, and employee engagement. Honorees were identified through submissions as well as researched via publicly available information on conservation and sustainability efforts. An esteemed, cross-industry selection committee made the final selection of honorees for the 2020 TxN 20.

Read the official press release of the 2020 Texan by Nature 20 which includes the full list of honorees and selection committee.