IRVINE, Calif., April 21, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A nationwide effort to encourage public participation in water and energy conservation has hit its stride in drought-plagued California, where residents from over 2,000 cities are joining forces with city leaders seeking to dub their city as "most water wise."
A photo accompanying this release is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=32303
Amid looming water reduction mandates, the 4th Annual Wyland National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation, April 1-30, asks residents to make a series of pledges online to substantially reduce water use in their yards, homes, and around town. In return, the campaign offers residents a chance to win a Toyota Prius v, water saving fixtures, and hundreds of sustainability focused prizes.
By Earth Day, April 22, organizers expect residents around the nation to have pledged to reduce their net water use by more than 1 billion gallons over the next year. Pledges include fixing leaks, reducing food waste, and rethinking landscaping by using climate appropriate or native plants, which can save seven times the water required for a traditional lawn and require less fertilizer. Moreover, studies show that landscaping in the southwest accounts for 50-80% of a home's total water use.
With one week left in the campaign, more than 135 mayors, from Dallas to Pittsburgh, have openly challenged their colleagues in 35 states to take the challenge. California leaders, who have taken the challenge, include mayors of Stockton, Ventura, San Diego, Los Angeles, Torrance, and Pasadena. Cities with the highest percentage of residents who take the challenge in their population category are deemed the winner and entered into prize drawings for their residents, a water efficient park or school landscape makeover, and water-saving software for their local water utility.
About the National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation, April 1-30
The National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation is presented nationally by the Wyland Foundation and Toyota, with support from the U.S. EPA's Office of Water, the National League of Cities, the Toro Company, Bytelaunch, and WaterSmart Software, and in southern California with CBS2/KCAL. The non-profit campaign is held annually between April 1-30 and encourages residents to make a series of informative, easy-to-use pledges to reduce water and energy usage. Learn more at www.mywaterpledge.com
The photo is also available via AP PhotoExpress.
