Water District 19 has given Pacific Research its first-ever Conservation Champion Award, a commendation the company received because of its effective use of rainwater to irrigate its landscaping, according to the water utility.

Pacific Research, also known as Sawbones, has cut its peak summertime use by 47 percent — or 110,000 gallons — by using a rainwater storage and pumping system to handle its irrigation, said District 19 manager Jeff Lakin. The company is also saving water by irrigating early in the morning

Pacific Research installed the new system in 2009, when it expanded its building on S.W. 188th Street.

“While our conservation program stresses year-round stewardship, we focus primarily on irrigation, since it is the most significant load on our system and reducing it is the highest hurdle toward reducing the number of people on our waiting list,” Lakin said.