Oceanside Claims FIRST PLACE in the
National Mayor's Challenge for Sustainability
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The City of Oceanside placed first in the 2021 Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, earning Oceanside the most water-wise city designation for the upcoming year. The annual competition was held during Earth Month to bring awareness to the importance of using water efficiently, especially as California moves into its second consecutive dry year. Mayors nationwide participated in the competition by challenging their residents to pledge to conserve water, reduce carbon emissions, reduce waste, and take other sustainable actions.
Mayor Esther Sanchez proudly supported the community throughout the Challenge, inspiring Oceanside residents to join her in taking care of the planet and the future. “The Oceanside community has always been a leader when it comes to sustainability, and I am honored to be the Mayor of the most water-wise City in the nation,” said Mayor Sanchez, City of Oceanside. “Oceanside has proven that our residents know how to protect the environment, improve water efficiency, reduce waste, and continue to implement actions that will create a better future. Great job, Oceanside!”
Oceanside residents showed up in big numbers to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability, not only by pledging to protect the environment but also by taking action in their homes and neighborhoods. Oceanside organizations including MainStreet Oceanside, the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce, Visit Oceanside, ProduceGood, local schools, the North County Lifeline after-school program, numerous Oceanside-based Girl Scouts Troops, and a plethora of residents and businesses all took action throughout April to score this win.
As part of the Challenge, Oceanside received over 9,425 points in the virtual EcoChallenge from residents logging environmental actions, ranging from using reusable bottles, fixing leaky faucets, taking shorter showers, and planting California native plants and seeds. The City of Oceanside produced and distributed over 1,000 “One Planet. Take Action.” kits to families, containing resources to help complete environmental activities and earn points for our City all month long. In total, Oceanside collectively saved 32,945 gallons of water, 137 pounds of CO2, and collected over 10,000 pounds of debris from entering our waterways. This is equivalent to the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced by charging over 36 million smartphones.
“I am thrilled at the community participation that secured the City’s win in the Mayor’s Challenge,” said Water Utilities Director Cari Dale. “And, as we enter our second year of dry weather in the Southwest, the community’s actions and pledges in the Mayor’s Challenge for Sustainability become even more important for our region and our planet.”
Oceanside residents who took the pledge have been entered into a drawing for thousands of dollars in eco-friendly prizes. In addition, the Oceanside charity that received the most nominations will be entered into a raffle to win a 2021 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Prizes will be awarded in August, so be sure to visit mywaterpledge.com to see who wins!
To learn more about the City’s participation in the Mayor’s Challenge for Sustainability, visit www.greenoceanside.org.
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About Green Oceanside: Green Oceanside is the City of Oceanside’s environmental services and programs dedicated to teaching residents and businesses how to be better stewards of the earth through sustainability, watershed protection, water efficiency, zero waste, climate action and energy conservation. For more information, visit www.greenoceanside.org.
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, a 501(c)(3) 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. For more information, visit www.wylandfoundation.org.
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