‘We really need to do something’: City of Redmond joins national water conservation challenge

(Update: Adding comment from Redmond mayor, water utilities manager)

Redmond water official says xeriscaping a great way to cut back on water use

REDMOND, Ore. (KTVZ) – While it snowed a lot in the mountains Monday, spring is still returning to Central Oregon.

And so, too, is higher water usage.

To help combat the serious drought, the City of Redmond is once again taking part in the Wyland Foundation’s National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation.

“Now more than ever, we really need to do something, to do our best as individuals, as citizens, to cut back on our water use,” Mayor George Endicott told NewsChannel 21 on Monday.

Last year, residents of 2,000 cities, including Redmond, pledged to reduce water consumption by more than 3 billion gallons a year through the challenge.

“There are a lot of little things we can all do to try and minimize our water usage, especially through the drought,” Endicott said.

While the challenge certainly doesn’t want you to ignore water use inside, it does focus more on conserving water use outside your home.

Redmond Water Utilities Manager Josh Wedding said the biggest use of water is on open green spaces.

 “Our water use goes from about 2.6 million gallons in the wintertime, to last our max day of (summer) demand was in the 16s,” Wedding said.

He said he’d love to see average summertime use, currently about 14 million gallons a day, go down to about 8 million, and yard maintenance can go a long way toward it.

“Reducing your watering times, or eliminating some of your green space and looking to go with xeriscaping,” Wedding said.

Xeriscaping, or replacing turf with rocks, is already popular in some newer developments.

“Communities (using xeriscaping) use way less water,” Wedding said.

To accommodate additional water usage, the city will finish its eighth well next month and is already planning its ninth well next year. But lowering the demand is key.

Endicott said, “Maybe your grass won’t look like the grass out at the golf course, but it will be okay, and it will survive.”

During the month of April, Redmond residents can take a simple pledge to make every drop count at mywaterpledge.com.

Here's a news release the city issued on Monday about the effort:

The National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, run by the Wyland Foundation, encourages cities to use water more efficiently, reduce pollution and save energy.

Residents of cities with the highest participation rates are entered to win various prizes, including $3,000 toward utility payments, gift cards, water saving fixtures and more. Residents can also nominate a local nonprofit to win a 2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid.

“As we experience a severe drought in Central Oregon, it is especially important that we each do what we can to preserve water," Endicott said. "The Wyland National Mayors Challenge for Water Conservation gives us the opportunity to do just that.  Please join me in making every attempt to use our precious resource, water, wisely."

To participate, residents can go to mywaterpledge.com from April 1–30 to make a pledge to conserve water on behalf of the City of Redmond.

Conserving water is more critical than ever. Our region is still suffering from the effects of the hot and dry conditions last summer, and low snowpack over the winter is a sign that we will likely see similar conditions this year. By Redmond residents making a greater effort to conserve water, we can reduce pressure on our precious water resources.

Last year, residents from more than 2,000 cities across the nation pledged to reduce their annual consumption of freshwater by more than 3 billion gallons, reduce waste sent to landfills by 80 million pounds, and prevent hundreds of thousands of pounds of hazardous waste from entering our watersheds.

The Challenge goes beyond short-term issues and looks at the ways our water use will affect the future of our communities — from how we manage our coasts, lakes, and rivers to reducing polluted runoff.

In support of the program, the foundation has also created a new digital tool called www.wylandfoundation.org/mywaterproject, 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. By doing one simple action for a day, a week or longer, Redmond residents can help the city earn bonus points towards up to $50,000 in prizes.

The National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation is presented by the Wyland Foundation, with support from Toyota, U.S EPA WaterSense, The Toro Company and the National League of Cities.

About the Wyland Foundation

Founded in 1993, the Wyland Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit 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. Learn more at www.wylandfoundation.org.