“20-Gallon Challenge” Aims to Reduce Countywide Water Usage

The Santa Barbara County Water Agency, along with numerous cities and districts throughout the county, is holding the Santa Barbara Countywide 20-Gallon Challenge in hopes of getting as many residents as possible to pledge to reduce their daily water usage by 20 gallons.

Once registered, the pledge maker will be automatically entered into a raffle to win a free digital shower timer. This timer can be placed in the shower and set at a certain time period so that one knows when to get out. While the ideal time period is five minutes, Helena Wiley von Rueden, from the Santa Barbara County Water Agency, explained, “If five minutes is too hard for people, we recommend they try to shave one minute off their shower time.”

Beginning this month, public service announcements will be seen and heard on local television and radio stations. The Santa Barbara County Water Agency, along with the cities of Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Lompoc, and Solvang, the Goleta, Carpinteria Valley, Montecito, and Santa Ynez River Water Districts, the Cuyama and Vandenberg Village Community Services Districts, and the Golden State and La Cumbre Mutual Water Companies are all part of this campaign.

Visit sbwater.org to take the pledge and find information on how to conserve water.