CV Water Counts Helps Coachella Valley Combat Drought
Five of the Coachella Valley’s water agencies have teamed up to help locals save water. You can visit CVWaterCounts.com to help reduce water use during one of California’s most severe droughts. The website, Facebook and Twitter are key elements of the CV Water Counts initiative. The program developed by the valley’s public water agencies in 2013 to raise conservation awareness and provide community members with the tools and information they need to use water more efficiently.
On the site, you can find rebates on water-saving devices, water efficiency tips, a do-it-yourself water audit, and games and activities for children. A map tool uses addresses to quickly and easily connect residents to their respective water agency and applicable rebate programs. The group’s social media sites highlight web features, give timely water-saving tips, and also share updates from other agencies across the state to empower people to save water.
Advertising, contests, community events and outreach through the participating water agencies have also helped get the word out about CV Water Counts. “By now, most people know how vital conservation is to the valley’s future,” said Patti Reyes, planning and special programs manager at Coachella Valley Water District. “We want to make efficient water use easy for people to incorporate into their daily lives. The drought reminds us that water is a precious and finite resource. Everyone has a part to play in managing water use today to make sure we pass sustainability on to the next generation.”
The group is currently considering developing an app for valley residents to report water waste and is also looking for additional grant funding to expand agency rebate programs and create new ones.
Funding for the CV Water Counts conservation effort has been provided by a state grant and commissioned by the Coachella Valley Regional Water Management Group (CVRWMG), a collaborative effort by the five Coachella Valley water agencies to protect the region’s water supply by working together on resource planning and management.
To learn more about how you can be part of the solution visit CVWaterCounts.com, find them at Facebook.com/CVWaterCounts and follow them on Twitter @CVWaterCounts.
