Mayor Christina L. Shea is joining other mayors across the country in asking residents to make a commitment to conserve water and protect this vital resource by taking part in the 9th annual Wyland Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, through the month of August.
“This annual challenge to conserve water, sponsored by the Wyland Foundation here in Irvine, reminds us of our precious resource,” said Mayor Shea. “I am hopeful that what is a short-term challenge for our residents becomes a long-term practice of conservation.”
In addition to reducing water, challenge participants in 50 states pledged to reduce the use of 8 million single-use plastic water bottles and eliminate 177,000 pounds of hazardous waste from entering watersheds. By altering daily lifestyle choices, pledges also resulted in potentially 79.9 million fewer pounds in landfills. Potential savings of 22.2 million gallons of oil, 12.6 billion pounds of carbon dioxide, 191.9 million kilowatt hours of electricity, and $38.4 million in consumer cost savings rounded out the final pledge results.
To participate, enter online at mywaterpledge.com, and then make a series of online pledges to conserve water on behalf of the City of Irvine. One winning city will be determined from five population categories. The City with the most pledges in each population category will win. Residents from the winning cities who take the online pledge will be entered to win hundreds of environmentally friendly prizes, including $3,000 for home utilities, water-saving fixtures, and home improvement gift cards.
For more information and to take the pledge, visit mywaterpledge.com.
About the Wyland Foundation
Founded in 1993 by environmental artist Wyland (best known for his series of 100 monumental marine life murals), the Wyland Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world’s ocean, waterways, and marine life. The foundation encourages environmental awareness through community events, education programs, and public art projects. www.wylandfoundation.org