Bartlesville joins national Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation
Bartlesville Mayor Dale Copeland is joining mayors across the country in asking residents to make a long-term commitment to manage water resources more wisely by taking part in the annual Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation.
In return, residents can win $5,000 toward their Home Utility Payments, water saving fixtures and hundreds of other prizes. Plus, one lucky charity will receive a 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid to serve the community.
The annual challenge, which runs April 1 through April 30, 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 at mywaterpledge.com to use water more efficiently, reduce pollution, and save energy.
“Water has always been a precious commodity, and the wise use of our water should be on the minds of all our users. As such, we should work together to preserve this valuable resource,” said Copeland. “The City Council and administrators have worked tirelessly with State and Federal regulatory agencies and elected officials to secure and ensure the long term viability of our water supply — up to the next 75 years — with conservation being a key part of that planning. The Wyland Challenge is one way to entice participation in conservation.”
Last year, residents from more than 4,800 cities in all 50 U.S. states pledged to reduce their annual consumption of freshwater by 2.2 billion gallons, reduce waste sent to landfills by 52 million pounds, and prevent more than 114,000 pounds of hazardous waste from entering our watersheds.
The Challenge goes beyond recent drought issues and looks at the ways our water use will affect the future of our communities — from how we grow food to reducing polluted runoff.
“Having faced serious drought conditions in the past, Bartlesville residents are all too aware of the challenges a shortage of water can present,” said Copeland. “The City of Bartlesville takes water conservation very seriously, as everyone should, and we strongly encourage citizens to participate in this challenge.”
To participate, residents enter online at mywaterpledge.com and then make a series of online pledges to conserve water on behalf of Bartlesville. Cities compete in the following population categories: 5,000 to 29,999 residents, 30,000 to 99,999 residents, 100,000 to 299,999 residents, 300,000 to 599,999 residents and 600,000-plus residents.
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 the grand prize of a $5,000 Home Utility Bill Payment.
The Challenge also gives residents a chance to nominate a deserving charity that would benefit from receiving a 2018 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, and 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.
The 7th 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).