Hillsboro Officials Ask Residents to Take Water Conservation Challenge

HILLSBORO, OR – Will you pledge to save water for Earth month?

Ask your neighbors to join and you could win a car.

Hillsboro city officials, as part of a national competition, are asking residents to be eco-friendly in April for the Wyland Foundation’s National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation.

From April 1 to April 30, city residents are encouraged to take the four-step water conservation pledge on behalf of Hillsboro, joining people across the nation all vying to help their cities win $50,000 in prizes for having the highest percentage of residents pledged to water conservation. Competing cities are categorized by population size. Hillsboro has roughly 100,000 residents.

"On behalf of the Hillsboro City Council, we urge our fellow community members to take the challenge this April and every day, so that we can maintain our quality of life for future generations," Mayor Steve Callaway said in a statement. "Clean, reliable water is arguably the most important component to our quality of life in Hillsboro, and is a core foundation of our community."

Prizes include eco-friendly cleaning products, shower heads, and $500 home improvement gift cards, with the grand prize a new Toyota Prius Prime.

The Environmental Protection Agency previously ranked Hillsboro among the top U.S. communities using sustainable energy sources, and in July 2016 recognized the city as first in the nation for purchasing green power, which is zero-emissions electricity generated from sources like wind, solar, and low-impact hydro-power.

"We want to thank everyone in Hillsboro for doing your part to make our community the very best it can be," said Council President Darell Lumaco. "By making your pledge today, you're helping us make a positive impact and helping Hillsboro compete in the national challenge."

To make a pledge, visit www.mywaterpledge.com. There, the pledged can also see where Hillsboro stands relative to other communities of similar size.

"As Hillsboro continues to grow at one of the highest rates in Oregon, it is ever more important for us to take steps to conserve this precious resource,” Callaway said. “The Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation supports our long-term vision and sustainability goals."

Image via City of Hillsboro