Residents in university housing can win eco-friendly prizes while helping the City of Pomona move up the rankings in an online competition to determine the most water-wise municipality in the country.
There are nearly two weeks to go before the contest ends on April 30, and Pomona currently ranks No. 18 in the nation in its population category. One registrant from the city that finishes No. 1 in the country will win the grand prize worth $5,000. Pomona finished No. 102 in the competition last year.
“Taking the water-conservation pledge is a great way to show our community spirit,” said Monika Kamboures, the university’s sustainability coordinator. “It also helps keep conservation in the minds of students and shows them that they can make a positive impact on the environment.”
The contest is open to residents in Encinitas, Montecito, Alamitos, Aliso, Palmitas and Cedritos residence halls, the Residential Suites, University Village and residents at the John T. Lyle for Regenerative Studies. The City of Pomona continues to call upon residents to make pledges.
Earth Week events aimed at promoting sustainability and the conservation of resources will begin on Monday, April 23. The sustainability department, which falls under the auspices of Facilities Planning & Management, will set up an information booth to recruit residents to make last-minute water conservation pledges.
Sustainability efforts by students were evident during a month-long competition early in the year for the Bronco Energy Trophy, which is awarded to one of four residence halls that saves the most electricity. Sustainability is one of the university’s core values and will be an integral part of Cal Poly Pomona’s next Campus Master Plan.
To become part of the effort to make Pomona the No. 1 city in the competition, go to www.mywaterpledge.com, pledge an amount of water to save and enter the prize drawing. Entrants also can nominate a local charity to win a Toyota RAV4 Hybrid.
The top prize in the water pledge competition is $5,000 in home utilities paid for a year. Other prizes include a $500 shopping spree at a home improvement store, “Green Your Home” cleaning kits and low-flow showerheads. There is a daily drawing for cash cards and eco-friendly prizes.
The contest is part of the Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, which encourages residents to conserve water, energy and other natural resources. The competition awarded more than $50,000 in prizes to nearly 300 residents in cities across the nation.
Other sustainability efforts at the university include a network of solar panels, a reverse-osmosis plant that produces drinking water, a fleet of electric vehicles, the use of drought-tolerant plants in landscaping, a Waste Reduction and Recycling Program, sustainable outdoor trash can liners, and the use of reclaimed water to irrigate landscape and crops.