Mayor Kevin Voracek announced today he is joining mayors across the country in asking residents to make a long-term commitment to reduce pollution and manage water resources more wisely. In return, residents can win over $50,000 in eco-friendly prizes, including $3,000 toward their utility payments, water saving fixtures and hundreds of other prizes.
The annual national community service campaign encourages leaders to inspire their residents, between April 1-30, to commit to making small changes at mywaterpledge.com to use water more efficiently, reduce pollution and save energy.
“Our natural resources, especially our rivers and lakes, are a key part of what makes Faribault such a special place,” Voracek said. “They support rare species and provide many economic and recreational benefits for residents and visitors. By protecting the quality of our lakes and rivers we
ensure Faribault remains a great place to live.”
Last year, residents from over 2,000 cities pledged to reduce their annual consumption of freshwater by over 1 billion gallons, reduce waste sent to landfills by 35 million pounds, and prevent nearly 100,000 pounds of hazardous waste from entering our watersheds.
“When we work together, individual actions lead to big results,” Voracek added. “I encourage all of our residents, and those living upstream, to take the pledge, and do what they can to protect our natural waters.”
To participate, residents go to mywaterpledge.com, and then make a series of online pledges to conserve water on behalf of Faribault. Cities with the highest percentage of residents who take the challenge in their population category are eligible for a chance to win $3,000 toward their utility bills, and hundreds more eco-friendly prizes, including Toro Irrigation Smart Controllers and gift cards.
In addition, one school from each winning city will receive 100 pairs of Zenni Remakes™ eyeglasses that help reduce damage to eyes from prolonged exposure to blue light. Each pair is made from the recycled plastics equal to three discarded single-use plastic water bottles.
Participating residents are also encouraged to use a custom created digital tool called MyVolunteer Water Project, in support of the program, which gives residents a unique way to do hands-on home, community, and workplace projects year-round in support of their city’s sustainability efforts. The more projects residents do throughout the year, the better chance a city wins the mayor’s challenge in April.
The National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation is presented by the Wyland Foundation, with support from the U.S EPA WaterSense, The Toro Company, Zenni Optical, and National League of Cities.
About the Wyland Foundation
Founded in 1993, the Wyland Foundation is 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