Save Our Water (California)

Save Our Water (California)

Save Our Water is a public information campaign administered by the California Department of Water Resources that promotes residential and institutional water conservation across California. The campaign coordinates outreach, media, and incentive programs tied to state responses to drought and water supply challenges involving agencies such as the State Water Resources Control Board and the California Environmental Protection Agency. Save Our Water operates alongside statewide initiatives from entities like the California Natural Resources Agency, engaging municipalities, utilities, and public agencies during declared droughts and water supply actions.

History

Save Our Water traces its origins to early 21st-century responses to prolonged dry periods and policy shifts following events such as the 1999 California water crises and the prolonged droughts of the 2000s. The campaign was developed within the California Department of Water Resources as part of broader planning efforts that included interaction with the California Water Resources Control Board, the California State Legislature, and regional water districts like Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and East Bay Municipal Utility District. Early collaborations involved researchers from institutions such as the University of California, Davis, the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, and California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo to align messaging with conservation science. Over time the campaign adapted to policy instruments created by the California Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and emergency proclamations issued by governors including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown. Major drought events in the 2010s and the 2020s—intersecting with federal actions by the United States Bureau of Reclamation and state regulatory steps by the California Energy Commission—shaped program emphasis on outdoor irrigation, fixture retrofits, and behavioral change research.

Campaign Objectives and Messaging

Save Our Water sets objectives that reflect statutory priorities from the California Department of Water Resources, the California State Water Resources Control Board, and the California Natural Resources Agency: reduce municipal water use, encourage efficient irrigation, and promote compliance with emergency conservation orders. Messaging uses multimedia strategies informed by social science research from the Public Policy Institute of California, the Pew Research Center, and academics at University of California, Berkeley and University of Southern California to reach audiences in urban centers like Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, and agricultural regions such as the Central Valley. Communication integrates guidance on devices recognized by standards-setting bodies like the United States Environmental Protection Agency and programs such as the EPA WaterSense label, while coordinating with codes and standards from the International Code Council and the American Water Works Association. Campaign materials reference state laws including the California Water Code and directives from governors during declared drought emergencies, seeking to harmonize public behavior with regulatory measures enacted by the California State Legislature.

Programs and Initiatives

Programmatic elements include residential rebate promotion, irrigation efficiency tools, turf replacement incentives, and educational toolkits distributed via local utilities such as San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Initiatives have leveraged partnerships with conservation nonprofits such as the Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, and the Pew Charitable Trusts to amplify outreach. Technical resources cite research from the United States Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for hydrologic context, while demonstration projects have been conducted with partners like the California Polytechnic State University and municipal programs in Irvine, Fresno, and Santa Barbara. Digital campaigns have employed platforms associated with YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook to distribute short-form guidance, and collaborations with landscape industries and trade groups such as the Irrigation Association and the American Society of Landscape Architects have promoted best practices for drought-tolerant planting.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding streams for Save Our Water derive from state appropriations administered by the California Department of Water Resources and grant programs coordinated with the California State Water Resources Control Board and the California Energy Commission. The campaign collaborates with regional water agencies like the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the Santa Clara Valley Water District, and the Contra Costa Water District to align rebate funding and program delivery. Federal agencies including the United States Bureau of Reclamation and the United States Department of Agriculture have been involved in complementary grant programs for agricultural efficiency that interface with urban outreach. Partnerships extend to research institutions such as the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and policy organizations like the Natural Resources Defense Council for program evaluation and technical guidance. Philanthropic support and in-kind contributions have occasionally come from foundations such as the Rose Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to underwrite pilot projects.

Impact and Controversies

Evaluation reports produced by entities including the California Department of Water Resources, the Public Policy Institute of California, and independent auditors have documented water savings associated with turf replacement, appliance rebates, and behavioral campaigns promoted by Save Our Water, with measurable reductions during declared restrictions in metropolitan service areas like Los Angeles and San Diego. Critics have raised concerns—voiced in hearings of the California State Legislature and coverage by outlets such as the Los Angeles Times and the San Francisco Chronicle—about the equity of rebate distribution, the efficacy of voluntary messaging versus mandatory restrictions, and the allocation of state funds relative to infrastructural investments favored by some regional districts. Debates have involved stakeholders from agricultural organizations like the California Farm Bureau Federation and environmental advocates from the Sierra Club and Environment California over priorities between urban conservation and agricultural water use. Legal and policy disputes have arisen in the context of water rights adjudications overseen by the California Supreme Court and regulatory proceedings at the State Water Resources Control Board. Despite controversies, Save Our Water remains a central element of California’s public-facing drought response architecture, informing outreach during successive drought cycles and emergency declarations.

Category:Water conservation in California