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Michael Laurie, Principal, Watershed LLC

As a sustainability consultant with more than 30 years of experience, I am passionate about conserving water and protecting our natural environment. My specialties include indoor and outdoor water efficiency, stormwater management, green building, and energy conservation, and I have the training and experience to serve you on a wide variety of projects. My experience includes:

Municipal Conservation Programs

Over the past thirty years I have worked on a variety of resource conservation projects for the Seattle Public Utilities, Bonneville Power Administration, National Renewable Energy Lab, Cascade Water Alliance, city of Bellingham, city of Mercer Island, and many more. Here?s a sample of my projects:

  • Conducted indoor and outdoor resource efficiency projects at a wide variety of sites, including hospitals, hotels, schools, offices, industrial facilities, and homes in 22 states and two countries.
  • Completed more than a thousand water efficiency, energy efficiency and sustainability consultations and assessments.
  • Assisted the City of Bellingham with the design and implementation of a water conservation program, including staff trainings and presentations and water audits for commercial and residential customers.
  • Conducted landscape irrigation audits, rebate inspections, educational presentations, technical consulting on video production, and rainwater system design for customers of the Cascade Water Alliance now in the sixth year.
  • Conducted landscape irrigation audits for several properties of Tacoma Public Utilities.
    Green Building
  • Currently assisting builders/developers incorporate sustainability features into their residential projects. These features will accommodate both their financial payback needs and the ecological characteristics of the sites.
  • Providing verification services on numerous Built Green projects.
    Landscape Water Conservation
  • Designed and installed several drip irrigation systems and a few rain gardens in the past few years.
  • Completed a number of rainwater collection system designs for commercial and residential buildings.
  • Completed over 300 commercial and residential landscape irrigation assessments in the last few years.
  • 10 years working with the Cascade Water Alliance to help them develop and carry out a wide range of landscape irrigation efficiency programs.

Teaching Sustainability
  • Conducted more than 30 presentations and classes on water-related sustainability topics for a wide range of audiences, including builders, developers, architects, engineers, utility staff, real estate agents, and homeowners.
  • Developed curricula and taught in the Sustainable Building Advisor (SBA) program since its inception in 1999. The SBA program is recognized as one of the premier sustainable building training programs in the country. I have recently taught SBA classes in Seattle, Spokane, Bellingham, and Poulsbo.
    Vashon Community Service
  • I live on Vashon Island, which is located near Seattle in Puget Sound, and I was a member of the Vashon Groundwater Protection Committee for 6 years including 2 years as the chair. As part of my community service I:
  • Helped write a Watershed Protection Plan for Vashon Island.
  • Served as board member of the Vashon Heights Water Utility for 2 years.
  • Led the Vashon Master Gardeners in their work to create a native plant demonstration garden at Vashon Island High School.

Home Projects At my home on Vashon I have designed and installed a wide range of resource efficiency and restoration projects including a green roof, a rain garden, a compost toilet, 1,500 gallons of rainwater storage and use, drip irrigation, pesticide free landscaping, invasive plant removal, and resource efficient appliances.

Certifications

  • BPI Certified Building Analyst
  • California AWWA Certified Water Conservation Practitioner
  • Irrigation Association Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor
  • Site Water Planner
  • LEED Accredited Professional
  • Built Green Verifier
  • Master Gardener, Master Composter
  • Rainwater Catchment Systems Accredited Professional
  • Washington Department of Ecology Erosion and Sediment Control Lead.

Education

  • BS in Environmental Science from Western Washington University
  • Associate of Technical Arts in Energy Management from Edmonds Community College
  • Masters in Business Administration from Seattle University.
  • As part of my continuing education, I have taken more than 40 advance water conservation courses.
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