Toms River Taking Part In Water Conservation Challenge

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Toms River residents are being asked to join Mayor Maurice "Mo" B. Hill in making a commitment to conserve water and cut pollution while also helping the township compete in a national contest.

The Wyland Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, which started Aug. 1 and runs through Aug. 31, is a nonprofit national community service campaign.

Toms River residents are asked to sign a pledge to reduce water and energy use, and towns with the highest number of residents who make a commitment are entered in a contest to win hundreds of environmentally friendly prizes.

Winning residents are eligible to win a grand prize of $3,000 for a resident to pay for utilities for a year; and a community grand prize of a 2020 Toyota Hybrid for one lucky nonprofit nominated by city residents.

The goal of the contest is to encourage people to drastically slash water and energy use across the nation.

"Toms River Township recognizes the precious nature of our water resources," Hill said. "I strongly support the water conservation initiative and look forward to leading our residents to take the necessary steps to become better informed of our natural resources."

In the wake of the current pandemic, the campaign will provide residents with more opportunities to get involved safely from home, including making water-friendly lifestyle changes on behalf of their town, undertaking home-based environmental projects that add up to cleaner, safer communities, and sharing tips and strategies with friends and neighbors.

HOW IT WORKS

• Residents go to mywaterpledge.com.
• Take a 4-step conservation pledge on behalf of the township
• See township’s current standings
• Encourage their friends to take part

The National Mayor's Challenge is designed to create awareness, promote resource resiliency, protect our watersheds and ecosystems, save on costs for consumers, and save on infrastructure and operating costs for cities. The 2019 Challenge had participation from cities across all 50 states.

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or get Patch breaking news alerts sent right to your phone with our app. Download here. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Toms River Patch on Facebook.