PEP HOUSING LEADS GREEN BUILDING FOR AFFORDABLE SENIOR HOUSING

Petaluma, CA – December 1, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — HydroPoint Data Systems, Inc., The Proven Leader in Smart Water Management announced today its customer PEP Housing has reduced outdoor water consumption by 40 percent with WeatherTRAK Smart Irrigation controllers at 12 senior housing communities in Sonoma County. The 58-unit Casa Grande Senior Apartments in Petaluma, California recently received a Met Life Foundation Award for Excellence in Affordable Housing, recognizing best practices in green, service-enriched housing for low-income seniors. The Casa Grande property is also the county’s first Green Point rated multi-family project.

PEP Housing has used the WeatherTRAK technology across its property portfolio of 300 senior apartments since 2008 to enhance water and energy efficiencies for residents and property management staff. Maintained by Redwood Landscape of Novato, California, the EPA-proven WeatherTRAK Smart Irrigation controllers optimize water savings using daily ET Everywhere™ weather data feeds accurate down to one square kilometer and19 different programmable parameters for plants, soil, slope and sun exposure conditions. The proprietary WeatherTRAK Scheduling Engine™ creates customized irrigation schedules that dynamically adjust as the local weather changes.

“The WeatherTRAK controllers eliminate the wasteful practice of watering on rainy days and enable our landscape contractor to focus on the health and appearance of the grounds rather than on plant replacement and water run-off,” said Jim Langford, housing development and operations director, PEP Housing. “The automated irrigation ensures plants receive precise amounts of water, saving tremendous amounts of time, water and money.”

Other green initiatives implemented at the PEP communities include the use of drought tolerant plants, drip irrigation, chemical-free pest control, pervious concrete pathways, low flow indoor plumbing fixtures, metal stud construction, bamboo flooring, hydronic heating and solar photovoltaic panels.

One of four organizations nationwide recognized by the MetLife Foundation in 2011, PEP Housing also received the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award from the State of California and was named a finalist for the NAHB’s National Green Building Award in 2010.

“Our residents are savvy and very tuned into green concerns. It is important for seniors to actively participate and live in a healthy environment,” said Mary Stompe, executive director, PEP Housing. “Our communities are designed to meet their expectations. As an owner of multiple affordable housing properties, we can take significant steps towards reducing our environmental impact with green building practices that conserve water, energy and financial resources.”

About PEP Housing
Petaluma Ecumenical Properties started as a vision by a group of clergy and civic leaders who wanted to provide quality affordable housing to the community’s lowest income seniors. As a result of their efforts in 1978, PEP Housing became the first non-profit housing provider to serve the needs of the people of Petaluma. Since then, PEP Housing has developed more than 300 low-income senior rental units in Sonoma and Marin Counties, demonstrating that dreams can be realized with perseverance and community support. What was once a volunteer organization has grown into a fully staffed group of professionals offering a full complement of services to the communities it serves. With construction starting on one new development in 2011and two in 2012, the PEP property portfolio will soon total 16 senior communities. Learn more at www.pephousing.org.

About HydroPoint Data Systems, Inc.
HydroPoint, founded in 2002, is the market and technology leader in Smart Water Management. The company’s WeatherTRAK solution uniquely delivers a multitude of financial and environmental benefits by revolutionizing management of the area of greatest waste in urban water use: landscape irrigation. Proven in 23 independent studies, including the vanguard pollution runoff study led by the EPA, the WeatherTRAK solution saves water, reduces energy demand and protects water quality while it minimizes liability and expense exposure. In 2011, subscribers including The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO), Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), Regency Centers (NYSE: REG) and numerous public institutions will save 17 billion gallons of water, 68 million kilowatt hours and 91 million pounds of CO2. Facing water rates ranging from $2 to $6 per 1,000 gallons and related expenses due to overwatering damages ranging from $500 to $10,000 per site, companies across the U.S. have identified WeatherTRAK as the green initiative with the fastest payback. Headquartered in Petaluma, Calif., HydroPoint is privately owned and operated. For more information, visit www.hydropoint.com.