After declaring a local drought earlier in February, the Beverly Hills City Council approved a move to support the Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation at its Feb. 15 Regular Meeting. The nationwide competition is presented by the California non-profit organization, the Wyland Foundation and aims to educate consumers on their water use and waste. This marks the fifth year that Beverly Hills will participate in the annual month-long challenge, which runs from April 1 to 30. During the month of April, those who live and work in Beverly Hills will be asked to manage water resources and can take the pledge to accept the challenge at www.mywaterpledge.com.
The challenge comes after Governor Gavin Newsom declared a statewide water crisis late last year, and California’s emergency drought rules issued in January that are aimed at curbing wasteful water use. According to the California Department of Water Resources, Water Year 2021 (Oct. 1, 2020 to Sept. 20, 2021) was California’s driest year since 1924 based on precipitation statewide. Residents are encouraged to register at My Water Pledge and participate on behalf of their city by completing online conservation pledges to reduce pollution. The initiative asks those pledging to make small changes like repairing leaky faucets, using reusable shopping bags, limiting sprinkler usage, taking shorter showers, washing only full loads of laundry, properly disposing of batteries and more. Based on individual answers and region, each pledge generates an estimated number of water gallons saved.
Cities will compete to be the most “water wise” and will be ranked by population category. Currently, Beverly Hills ranks 145 in the population category ranging 30,000-99,999; North Port, Florida ranks first. The cities that receive the most pledges in their population category are titled the most “water wise” city in the nation and participants compete for hundreds of prizes, including $3,000 for home utility bills and a Toyota Highlander Hybrid. During the month of April, 30 daily prizes will also be drawn randomly from a pool of all participants to win Bluetooth hose timers, travel mugs, towels, hats, and beanies. The Wyland Foundation is expected to announce winners in May.
Dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world’s oceans, waterways and marine life, the Wyland Foundation started the challenge 10 years ago. Since 2013, the program has saved over seven billion gallons of water and counting.
Right now, the city offers cost-saving tips, water audits and a free water tracker service to help residents reduce waste by notifying them of abnormally high daily water usage and any continuous water flow issues, such as leaks. To learn more about these resources, visit https://water.beverlyhills.org/. The city also has grant funds available for businesses to provide financial incentives for customized water efficiency projects. For tips on water conservation, visit http://www.bhsaves.org/. For questions related to water conservation, please call 310-285-2492 or email dfigoni@beverlyhills.org.
The Wyland Foundation Mayor’s Challenge is presented in partnership with Toyota and support from the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense, The Toro Company, the National League of Cities, Conserva Irrigation and Earth Friendly Products and more.
