Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz is joining mayors across the country in asking residents to make a long-term commitment to manage water resources more wisely by taking part in the annual Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation. As part of the program, residents can win $3,000 toward their home utility payments, water saving fixtures, and hundreds of other prizes. Additionally, one charity from a winning city will receive a 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid to serve the community.

The annual challenge from April 1-30 is a non-profit national community service campaign that encourages residents to make a series of simple pledges at mywaterpledge.com to use water more efficiently, reduce pollution, and save energy. The challenge goes beyond recent drought issues and looks at the ways water use will affect the future of communities — from how food is grown to reducing polluted runoff.

To participate, residents go to mywaterpledge.com, and then make a series of online pledges to conserve water on behalf of Athens, GA. Residents in the cities with the highest percentage of people who take the challenge in their population category have a chance to win $3,000 toward their home utility bills and hundreds more eco-friendly prizes including Toro Irrigation Smart Controllers, ECOS home cleaning products, and home water fixture retrofits from EcoSystems Inc. In addition, residents can nominate a deserving charity from their city to receive a 2019 Toyota Highlander Hybrid. Teachers and their students are particularly encouraged to take part.

The 8th National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation is presented by the Wyland Foundation and Toyota, with support from the U.S EPA WaterSense, The Toro Company, the National League of Cities, Conserva Irrigation, EcoSystems Inc., and Earth Friendly Products (makers of ECOS).