Residents in Over 2,800 US Cities Pledge to Save 559 Million Gallons in Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation

Mayors from 23 States Lead Month-Long Effort to Promote Water Stewardship, Pollution Reduction, and Ocean Protection

ORANGE COUNTY, CA, UNITED STATES, June 24, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Residents from more than 2,800 cities across the United States participated in the 2025 Wyland National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, held April 1–30, pledging to save over 559 billion gallons of water over the next year. The annual campaign, led by the Wyland Foundation, engages residents in practical efforts to reduce water waste and pollution at the community level. Mayors from 23 states took part in the 15th annual Challenge, rallying their cities to become the most water-wise in the nation.

A Grassroots Effort with Nationwide Impact

This year’s top-ranking cities—based on the highest percentage of participating residents in their population categories—are Laguna Beach, California; Union City, New Jersey; Jersey City, New Jersey; Mesa, Arizona; and Columbus, Ohio. From small coastal communities to major urban centers, participating cities used the challenge to elevate local sustainability goals and promote long-term behavior change.

In total, residents pledged to save over 559 million gallons of water, reduce utility bills by $7 million, and conserve 35.6 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. Collectively, their commitments are projected to eliminate more than 2.2 billion pounds of CO₂ emissions, keep 14.6 million pounds of waste out of landfills, eliminate the use of 1.3 million plastic water bottles, and prevent over 33,000 pounds of hazardous waste from entering the environment. Residents convert their pledges into actions using tools at wylandfoundation.org to help with planting trees, arranging community cleanups, fixing leaks, and changing landscaping practices.

Small Actions, Big Difference for Clean Water and Oceans

A central feature of the 2025 campaign was the launch of the Wyland Foundation’s new AI-powered Impact Insight Tool, which gave participants real-time, personalized feedback on how their pledges contributed to improved water quality, infrastructure savings, and local environmental health.

“The way we use and manage water at home directly influences the health of our oceans,” said Wyland Foundation President Steve Creech. “This challenge is a powerful reminder that protecting our waterways and saving the ocean starts at home. It’s not just about shorter showers—it’s about reducing pollution runoff, rethinking how we care for our landscapes, and ultimately helping to sustain our water systems and stop ocean pollution at the source.”

With water systems facing growing stress from drought, aging infrastructure, and rising costs, the Mayor’s Challenge gives city leaders a tangible way to connect policy with public participation. Since its inception, the program has engaged over 1,000 mayors and hundreds of thousands of residents in voluntary water conservation and pollution reduction. The initiative is supported by partners including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), The Toro Company, National League of Cities, ZENNI Optical EcoBloomz Collection, and CBS Los Angeles.

About the Wyland Foundation Founded in 1993 by renowned marine life artist Wyland, the Wyland Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world’s oceans, waterways, and marine life through public education. A major focus of the foundation is to inspire people to take action to stop ocean pollution at the source by demonstrating how daily choices—especially around water use—can reduce runoff and restore waterway health from source to sea.

Jonathan Abramson
Bluetone Marketing & PR
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