Innovative approaches to water and energysavings in the bath will be honored with a new “Best Sustainable Bath Award” category in the 2009 NKBA Design Competition, hosted annually by the National Kitchen & Bath Association.
    Called the “Smartest Hot Water Award” in its 2008 competition debut, the new award is co-sponsored by Rheem and is designed to go beyond hot water delivery to recognize the expanding array of sustainability being applied in today’s new and remodeled bathrooms.
    Designers entering any of the competition’sbathroom design categories will be invited to submit additional information demonstrating how they maximized both comfort and resource efficiency.
    “The National Kitchen & Bath Association is proud to have Rheem sponsor the Best Sustainable Bath Award in the 2009 NKBA Design Competition,” said 2008 NKBA President Sara Ann Busby, CKD. “The NKBA is committed to promoting the use of environmentally responsible design practices, and this award category will notonly recognize those designers who have expertly implemented sustainability into their work, but will also increase awareness of the importance of green products and procedures.”
    The winner of the Sustainable Bath Award will receive a $5,000 prize and be recognized at the NKBA Design Competition Awards Ceremony during the 2009 Kitchen/Bath Industry Show, set for Apr. 30-May 3 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.