[Editor's note: Originally posted on the National Wildlife Federation blog, our partner on the Texas Living Waters Project. The blog has been updated to reflect the launch of the Scorecard.]
By Tom Spencer
Recent droughts have seared the memories of Texans deepening their appreciation for our most precious resource: water. As a result, hundreds of thousands of people across the Lone Star state are trying to conserve water. Homeowners are installing more efficient appliances and converting thirsty lawns into drought-tolerant native plantings even though the drought seems to have abated.
Individuals and families are conserving water – but what about their water utilities? Are Texas water providers leading the way when it comes to protecting our vital water resources? Texans now have answers to those questions. Thanks to the Texas Living Waters Project’s Texas Water Conservation Scorecard, Texans are able to see how their water providers stack up when it comes to saving water.
The Texas Water Conservation Scorecard rates hundreds of water providers on their on-going efforts to lower water consumption, inform their customers about how to help out, cut water losses in delivery and other criteria. The Texas Water Conservation Scorecard is a searchable, user-friendly digital tool that is designed to encourage utilities to make even greater efforts to conserve water and to energize and engage water consumers about how they can make a difference. Individuals are asked to sign a petition urging their providers to make every effort to improve their “scores.”
The Texas Living Waters Project is a collaborative effort of the National Wildlife Federation, the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, and the Galveston Bay Foundation. Our organizations realize that conserving water is the most efficient way to tackle water shortages and should always be our first priority. Likewise, with Texas’ fast-growing population, we know that conserving water is essential if we want to keep Texas rivers flowing and protect our wildlife.
The Texas Water Conservation Scorecard is available now! The website and report are free and downloadable.
How will your team score?
Tom Spencer is is the Program Director of the Texas Living Waters Project.