Montrose, CO – Mayor Doug Glapsell is joining mayors across the United States in asking residents to make a long-term commitment to manage water resources more wisely by taking part in the 2022 Wyland National Mayor's Challenge for Water Conservation. This year more than $50,000 in prizes will be awarded to residents across the nation who make the commitment to conserve water.
The annual challenge will be held throughout the month of April and is a non-profit community-service campaign to see which leaders can best inspire their residents to take informative steps to use water more efficiently, reduce pollution, and save energy.
The online pledge at mywaterpledge.com takes less than one minute to complete.
The City of Montrose has participated each year since 2012.
At the March 15 City Council meeting Mayor Glaspell was joined by Youth City Councilor Gunnison Clamp to sign a proclamation that designated the month of April 2022 as Water Conservation Month in the City of Montrose.
Glaspell said water is a "vital resource for the long-term sustainability of our community and it is important for the future of Colorado’s water resources that all communities, individuals, and organizations strive to reduce indoor and outdoor water use."
"Every person, business, school, and household can make a difference when it
comes to conserving water, an essential natural resource for all living things, and the City of Montrose is dedicated to implementing water conservation efforts and inspiring residents to join us in becoming better environmental stewards," Glaspell said.
Montrose-area residents are encouraged to participate in the annual water conservation drive aimed at raising awareness, curbing excessive water use, and reducing the amount of hazardous waste entering watersheds and landfills.
“Water in our western states is a critical resource and using it carefully will benefit all of us and future generations," Glaspell said. "When watering your yards, water, as needed and remember the sidewalk and streets, will not grow, so please do not waste water by watering them."
In 2020, the City of Montrose finished fourth in the United States out of all of the communities participating in the population category of 5,000 to 29,900 residents.. During that challenge, some 1,300 Montrose residents made pledges to save over four million gallons of water.
In addition to reducing overall water waste, Montrose residents pledged to reduce their use of single-use plastic water bottles by more than 10,000 and to take actions that helped prevent 232 pounds of hazardous waste from entering watersheds.
Through the 1,300 online pledges, residents committed to cut overall water usage by 4,444,978 gallons per year. By altering daily lifestyle choices, Montrose residents also pledged to put 108,000 fewer pounds of waste into landfills. Potential savings of 30,000 gallons of oil, 15.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide, 276,000-kilowatt hours of electricity, and $55,000 dollars in consumer cost savings rounded out the final pledge results.
Winning cities within each population category are those with the highest percentage of residents who take the challenge. Residents can win prizes and choose their favorite community non-profit for the possibility of winning a new 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid.
Water Conservation Month in the City of Montrose also coincides with the full schedule of community activities that will occur during the city's annual Earth Week celebration April 22 through April 29.
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 is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world’s oceans, waterways, and marine life. The foundation encourages environmental awareness through community events, education programs, and public art projects. www.wylandfoundation.org.