Columbus wins water conservation contest

As part of a challenge against other cities, more than 15,000 Columbus residents pledged to do small things to conserve water, like fix leaking pipes in their homes or turn off the faucet when brushing their teeth. But their impact will be far from small.

Columbus was named the most water-wise city in this year’s Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, in which cities compete to conserve the most water. Residents pledged to do specific water-saving acts, like taking shorter showers, in the name of their city. The annual monthlong public awareness campaign ended April 30, with cities from 35 states vying in this year’s challenge.

The Wyland Foundation estimates that Columbus will conserve 65.4 million gallons of water within the next year as a result of the pledged conservation efforts of the 15,771 residents. That’s enough water to fill nearly 100 Olympic swimming pools, said the California-based nonprofit group, which is dedicated to preserving the world’s oceans, waterways and marine life.

At the end of the year, the foundation will send out a survey to see how, and if, residents followed through on their pledges, allowing them to “measure (people’s) attitudes and willingness to change behavior year after year,” said Jonathan Abramson, Wyland president.

For the past eight years, Wyland has challenged cities across the U.S. to decrease their water use. This year, for the first time, Columbus was among five cities recognized for their pledges to conserve. Also recognized were: Rexburg, Idaho; Palm Coast, Florida; Athens, Georgia; and Tucson, Arizona.

Overall, cities from 35 states have pledged to conserve 3 billion gallons of water over the next year, Abramson said.

The purpose of the contest is to educate people on how they can help conserve water and reduce their environmental footprint. “We need two things to live on Earth: clean water and clean air. And if we don’t have clean water we’re not going to survive,” Abramson said.

The amount of Columbus pledges is proof that people are willing to conserve water, said David Celebrezze, coordinator of Greenspot, a city of Columbus program that educates people about sustainability.

Water is a limited resource, and conservation ensures that it will be available for the next generation, he said.

Greenspot is “very proud” of the pledges, Celebrezze added.

While the contest is over, he encourages people to continue to reduce their water usage, saying small acts can have a large impact.

For more information on ways to conserve water, visit the Wyland Foundation at mywaterpledge.com or Greenspot Columbus at Columbusgreenspot.org.