City of Encinitas Joins Nationwide Challenge to be Most 'Water Wise'

During the month of April, Mayor Kristin Gaspar of the City of Encinitas is joining mayors across the country in asking residents to make a commitment to conserve water and cut pollution by taking part in the 5th annual National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation. This challenge encourages cities across the nation to compete to be the most water wise. In addition to helping solve a global issue, participants can win a new Toyota Prius, water saving fixtures, and hundreds of other prizes.

The National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation is a non-profit national community service campaign to see which leaders can best inspire their residents to make a series of informative and easy-to-do online pledges to reduce water and energy usage. “In Encinitas, we all are committed to protecting our local environment and leading communities across the nation in sustainability. We know that these efforts start at home, so we are excited to partner with the National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation in order to help provide an incentive for our citizens to conserve water at home. To this end, in the past year my family and I have saved over 83,000 gallons of water, nearly 6,000 kWh of electricity, and nearly 2,000 pounds of garbage.” said Mayor Gaspar.

Last year, residents from over 3,900 cities in all 50 U.S. states pledged to reduce their annual consumption of freshwater by 1.5 billion gallons, reduce waste sent to landfills by 47 million pounds, and prevent more than 141,000 pounds of hazardous waste from entering our watersheds. “We believe in the power of communities coming together to solve global problems” said Mayor Gaspar. “Encinitas is a beautiful community that cares deeply about the local environment. Through the combined efforts of the nearly 60,000 people in our community and efforts of other U.S. cities, we can make a profound difference in how we all use water.”

Encinitas residents can participate by signing up at www.mywaterpledge.com and creating online pledges to conserve water, save energy, and reduce pollution on behalf of Encinitas throughout the month of April. The challenge also features additional resources for residents to take their commitment of conservation even further, from regional water and energy resource issues to cost-saving tips at home. Participants from cities with the highest percentage of residents who take the challenge in their population category are entered into drawings for hundreds of eco-friendly prizes, including home improvement gift cards, home irrigation equipment, and a Grand Prize Toyota Prius. The National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation is presented by the Wyland Foundation and Toyota, with support from the U.S EPA WaterSense, The Toro Company, National League of Cities, Conserva Irrigation, and Earth Friendly Products (makers of ECOS).

About the Wyland Foundation: Founded in 1993 by environmental artist Wyland (best known for his series of 100 monumental marine life murals), the Wyland Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world’s oceans, waterways, and marine life. The foundation encourages environmental awareness through community events, education programs, and public art projects.

About the City of Encintas: Located along six miles of Pacific coastline in northern San Diego County, Encinitas is comprised of five unique communities thriving as one great city. The City of Encinitas works to preserve, protect, and provide innovative services that enhance the quality of life for residents, visitors, businesses, and our communities.