Bay Area Leaders Launch Water Conservation Campaign
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed recently joined leaders from the Bay Area and statewide water agencies to unveil a regional public education campaign aimed at reminding residents and businesses to curb water use this summer and fall.
The "Water Saving Hero" campaign features ordinary people adopting simple water conservation practices in their everyday lives, and will soon blanket radio and television airwaves, billboards, transit stations, buses, trains, and Web sites throughout the region. The effort also features a new Web site -- www.WaterSavingHero.com -- where Bay Area residents can link directly to their local water agency's conservation tips and cash rebate information. The effort comes as California faces its first statewide drought in 16 years and amidst growing concerns about the future of water supplies from the Delta and other sources.
"After two of the driest winters in our state's history and with climate change upon us, every Bay Area resident and every Bay Area city has a responsibility to save water and help fight this drought," said Newsom, who also issued a new City and County of San Francisco Executive Directive aimed at reducing water consumption by city government and requiring more water-efficient irrigation, street cleaning, and other services. "Cities like San Francisco must lead by example when it comes to water conservation, but the actions that millions of Bay Area 'Water Saving Heroes' take every day will truly make the difference."
"From San Jose to Santa Rosa, Bay Area residents have taken real steps to save water, but we have to keep it up," Reed said. "A regional campaign is so important because if we all save a little, together we'll save a lot. Fighting this drought is a job for every Bay Area resident, business and City."
The more than $1 million "Water Saving Hero" campaign is a partnership among eleven Bay Area water agencies and organizations from the nine Bay Area counties. The campaign is funded by Bay Area water agencies, but will be reimbursed by a grant from the California Department of Water Resources.
The ads and billboards will run at least through the summer and early fall 2008.