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Community Corner

Encinitas Aims to Win National Contest

The City of Encinitas is asking residents to conserve water and cut pollution, all in the name of a little friendly competition.

The City is collaborating with the San Dieguito Water District and the Olivenhain Municipal Water District in an effort to win the Wyland Foundation’s National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, a contest aimed at drastically slashing water and energy use. And as an added incentive, residents who prove their city is the most committed to that pledge could be eligible to win a new Toyota Prius Plug-In, and hundreds of other prizes.

“Water is a finite, critical resource and using it efficiently is easy, smart, and the right thing to do,” said Larry Watt, president of Olivenhain Municipal Water District. “This campaign not only encourages conservation of our most precious resource, but helps citizens to realize the positive impact we collectively make by thinking sustainably.”

The contest runs from April 1 to 30. To participate, residents enter online at mywaterpledge.com, and then make a series of online pledges to conserve water on behalf of Encinitas.

Cities compete in categories based on population. Cities with the highest percentage of participating residents are entered into drawings for hundreds of eco-friendly prizes, including home improvement gift cards, home irrigation equipment, and the grand prize Toyota Prius Plug-In.

Last year, Encinitas came in second nationally in its population category - 30,000 to 99,999. This year, the City has its sights set on victory.

“We know our customers have always been strongly committed to conserving water. By taking a few minutes to take the pledge, our customers can prove this commitment by helping Encinitas win the title of ‘Most Water Wise City’ in the nation,” said Mark Muir, President of the San Dieguito Water District and Encinitas City Councilman.

The contest provides a great opportunity to learn more about environmental conservation. The contest website includes resources for residents to take their commitment of conservation even further, from regional water and energy resource issues to cost-saving tips at home.

“The upcoming WaterSmart Makeover series is a great way for homeowners to step into replacing water thirsty turf with a brilliant new, and climate appropriate landscape,”
said Felice Tacktill, Water Conservation Specialist for San Dieguito Water District.

Last year, residents from over 1,000 cities in all 50 U.S. states pledged to reduce their annual consumption of potable water by nearly a billion gallons, reduce waste sent to landfills by 18.3 million pounds, prevent more than 69.9 million pounds of hazardous waste from entering our watersheds, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.7 billion pounds.

The 3rd annual National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation is presented by the Wyland Foundation and Toyota, with support from the U.S EPA’s Office of Water, National League of Cities, U.S. Forest Service, The Toro Company, Wondergrove Kids, Bytelaunch, and WaterSmart Software.

For more information, or to join Encinitas in its pledge to help conserve water and energy, please visit mywaterpledge.com.

For more information about other water conservation rebates and programs available to customers, please visit sdwd.org/conserve or olivenhain.com.

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