Tampa Mayor, Bob Buckhorn, joins Water Conservation Challenge
PRESS RELEASE: TAMPA MAYOR SIGNS UP FOR NATIONAL “MAYORS CHALLENGE FOR WATER CONSERVATION” BEGINNING APRIL 1, 2014
Drought Resiliency and Energy Savings Through Water Conservation is Focus of Third Annual National Water Awareness Campaign
photo D. Sharon Pruitt from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, USA
Mayor Bob Buckhorn is joining other mayors across the country to conserve water and cut pollution by taking part in the “Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation,” which aims to drastically slash water and energy use across the nation. Besides conserving water and energy, city residents can win a new Toyota Prius Plug-In, water saving fixtures, and hundreds of other prizes by participating in the 30-day challenge period from April 1-30, 2014.
Mayor Buckhorn is encouraging Tampa residents to conserve water, save energy, and reduce pollution on behalf of Tampa by pledging to conserve water at www.mywaterpledge.com/national throughout the month of April. Last year, residents from over 1,000 cities in all 50 U.S. states pledged to reduce their annual consumption of freshwater by nearly a billion gallons, reduce waste sent to landfills by 18 million pounds, prevent more than 70 million pounds of hazardous waste from entering our watersheds. In past years, mayors participated from Seattle, Houston, Denver, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Honolulu, San Diego, San Francisco, Long Beach, Calif., and Miami.
Presented nationally 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, mayors nationwide are encouraged to challenge their residents to conserve water, save energy, and reduce pollution on behalf of their city at www.mywaterpledge.com throughout the month of April.
“Whether it’s drought conditions in the West or the high costs of energy related to water use in the East, saving water has become one of the most important issues facing the nation today,” said Wyland, marine and conservation artist and president of the Wyland Foundation.
To Participate: Residents enter the name of their city at mywaterpledge.com, then make a series of online pledges to conserve water on behalf of their city. Cities compete in these population categories: (5,000- 29,999 residents, 30,000 -99,999 residents, 100,000-299,999 residents, 300,000-599,999 residents, and 600,000+ residents). Cities with the highest percentage of residents who take the challenge in their population category are deemed the winner. Residents from those cities are entered to win an array of environmentally positive prizes. Residents also discover resources in their area to take their commitment of conservation even further, from regional water and energy resource issues to cost-saving tips at home.
