Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen and the Laguna Beach County Water District are challenging residents to defend Laguna Beach’s title of “Most Waterwise City.”
Mayor Whalen is joining mayors across the country in asking residents to take part in the Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation during the month of April. Laguna Beach has won the title seven times since first participating in the annual competition twelve years ago.
“Since its inception, our residents have embraced the challenge and shown the nation that water use efficiency and sustainability are an integral part of living in California where droughts are increasing in intensity and length,” Whalen said. “This challenge serves as a reminder of the important role each of us play in the protection and conservation of our natural resources.”
The annual non-profit national community service campaign encourages leaders to inspire their residents between April 1 to 30 to commit to making small changes at mywaterpledge.com to use water more efficiently, reduce pollution, and save energy. The program was started twelve years ago by a handful of mayors who were looking for alternative ways to engage their residents more deeply about the coming water challenges in the United States.
Last year, residents from over 2,000 cities in all 50 U.S. states pledged to reduce their annual freshwater consumption by over 1 billion gallons, reduce waste sent to landfills by 35 million pounds, and prevent nearly one hundred thousand pounds of hazardous waste from entering our watersheds. Cities compete in the following population categories: (5,000- 29,999 residents, 30,000-99,999 residents, 100,000-299,999 residents, 300,000-599,999 residents, and 600,000+ residents). The challenge goes beyond short-term issues and looks at how our water use will affect the future of our communities — from how we manage our coasts, lakes, and rivers to reducing polluted runoff.
“Thanks to recent storms, we’re able to take a collective breath as we head into summer. Reservoir levels throughout the state have rebounded and the Sierra snowpack has and continues to break records,” said Keith Van Der Maaten, general manager of the Laguna Beach County Water District. “But California’s groundwater levels have fallen dramatically during the state’s droughts. And, the Colorado River, a main source of water for Southern California, is in a two-decades long drought, which has caused its massive reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, to plummet. We must continue to use this precious resource wisely.”
To participate, residents can go to mywaterpledge.com and make a series of online pledges to conserve water on behalf of Laguna Beach. In exchange for participation, residents can win over $50,000 in eco-friendly prizes, including $3,000 toward their home utility payments, and hundreds more eco-friendly prizes, including Toro Irrigation Smart Controllers, Gift cards for Hobie Surf Shops, and more. Plus, this year students from thousands of schools across the country can make water conservation commitments that directly support their city’s standings. One school from each winning city will receive 100 pairs of Zenni Remakes™ eyeglasses that help reduce damage to eyes from prolonged exposure to blue light. Each pair is made from the recycled plastics equal to three discarded single use plastic water bottles.
Participating residents are also encouraged to use a custom-created digital tool called My Volunteer Water Project at wylandfoundation.ecochallenge.org in support of the program, that gives residents a unique way to do hands-on home, community, and workplace projects year-round in support of their city’s sustainability efforts. The more projects that residents do throughout the year, the greater chance their city will win the mayor’s challenge in April.
The National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation is presented by the Wyland Foundation, with support from the U.S EPA WaterSense, The Toro Company, Zenni Optical, and National League of Cities. Founded in 1993, the Wyland Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world’s ocean, waterways, and marine life. The foundation encourages environmental awareness through community events, education programs, and public art projects. www.wylandfoundation.org.
