Water Authority, Girl Scouts Sweeten Water Conservation Message with Cookie Sales
March 13, 2009
It’s an important message with a sweet delivery. Along with their Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Samoas, and Do-si-dos, Girl Scout Cookie…
It’s an important message with a sweet delivery. Along with their Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Samoas, and Do-si-dos, Girl Scout Cookie buyers will get an important reminder this year that San Diego faces a water crisis.
The San Diego County Water Authority has joined forces with the San Diego-Imperial Council of the Girl Scouts to distribute water conservation tip cards with home deliveries and starting this Friday at booth sales of Girl Scout Cookies. Water Authority Board Chair and Carlsbad Mayor Claude A. “Bud” Lewis and Girl Scouts CEO Jo Dee Jacob announced the program today at Girl Scout Headquarters in Balboa Park.
“We are proud to have the Girl Scouts partner with us to deliver this important conservation message. We want everyone who has purchased cookies from the Girl Scouts to take a moment to read the card and do all they can to implement the water saving tips listed,” said Lewis. “With water use restrictions in San Diego County likely this year, it is important that find every opportunity to remind residents, businesses and public agencies to do all they can to save water now.”
Over the next three weeks, 400,000 cards will be distributed with 2 million boxes of cookies. The card asks Girl Scout Cookie customers to “Please take a few moments to implement one or more water saving tips. The amount of water saved could have a huge impact on our region!” A sample of the card is attached.
“Girl Scouts has a 97-year tradition of public service, conservation, and using resources wisely,” said Jacob. “We welcome the opportunity for Girl Scouts to distribute these specially designed information flyers as they sell cookies. It’s an easy way to remind people of the importance of saving water and providing them with practical, easy tips on how to save.”
Despite recent precipitation, rainfall and snow pack levels are still below-normal and 2009 follows two critically dry years in California. Furthermore, severe regulatory restrictions on water deliveries from the State Water project – the source of about 30 percent of San Diego County’s water supply last year – also remain in effect. Many key reservoirs around the state remain at near record-low levels.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), the Water Authority’s main water supplier, has stated there is a 50 percent chance it will reduce water allocations to its member agencies this year. An allocation from MWD will force the Water Authority to allocate supplies to its 24 member retail water agencies, activating local mandatory water use restrictions. MWD is expected to decide whether to allocate water supplies in April.
Links to retail water agency drought ordinances, as well as conservation tips, rebates and water-saving information are available at www.20gallonchallenge.com.
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