Perris, CA (August 19, 2021) — As this season gears up to be one of the warmest and driest in recent memory, millions of Californians are reacquainting themselves with the trappings of summer: sunscreen, sunny mornings, and drought. Intentional or not, the word drought has become synonymous with summer to millions in California, due in part to water agencies like ours whose outreach efforts flood social media and mailboxes this time of year.

The good news is Southern California residents have been here before and know what to do. To help revitalize water use efficiency efforts across the region and recognize a job well done by customers to be as water efficient as possible, a new campaign out of the Inland Empire is shaking up California’s traditional idea of drought awareness with three simple words: Keep It Up. Keep up awareness of your water usage and your water provider will keep up its supply planning and delivery efforts; keep up those practices you know well and have adopted as a way of life.

“Because of the proactive investments and decades-long efforts to embrace water use efficiency, our region is well-prepared to meet customer demands despite the increasing drought conditions throughout California,” EMWD Board President Phil Paule said. “With that in mind, it is important that each of us recommits to doing our part to help the state conserve water supplies during these incredibly challenging times.”

In the past decade, residential water usage has significantly decreased in response to environmental and community advocacy—this region has responded well to consistent reminders and those proactive efforts have made great strides in our ability to manage water supplies for our customers. While the Inland Empire’s water supply is robust, we cannot be certain if we are at the end of a short drought or facing the beginning of a long-term drought. So, it’s up to each and every customer to stay committed to using water efficiently. This will ensure that our stored water will last as long as possible and keep IE ahead of the drought curve.

The “Keep It Up IE” campaign is a new effort out of the Inland Empire, a region all too familiar with the effects of dry climate and traditional community engagement around water efficiency. Four of the region’s wholesale water districts have established the Inland Empire Clean Water Partnership. Eastern Municipal Water District, Inland Empire Utilities Agency, San Bernadino Valley Municipal Water District, and Western Municipal Water District collectively provide water for more than three million Californians—enough to make a noticeable impact on water use efficiency for the State. Through the Partnership, we can connect with more than 40 cities and water districts and are encouraging them to share a simple message: Keep It Up Inland Empire.

“This partnership will help all our agencies work to meet the needs of our customers,” Paule said. “The Inland Empire Clean Water Partnership is optimistic that through public education and regional solutions to complex problems, we can do our part to help our customers and our state successfully manage this historic drought.”

EMWD is optimistic about the IECWP’s early work. This has been a pivotal time in our region’s water supply management and planning, and the decisive action by the IECWP to engage and inspire water-saving efforts is essential. In participating in this effort, it is our goal as a water service provider to work collaboratively to accelerate water resiliency in the region.

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Eastern Municipal Water District is the water, wastewater service and recycled water provider to nearly one million people living and working within a 555-square mile service area in western Riverside County. It is California’s sixth-largest retail water agency, and its mission is “To deliver value to our diverse customers and the communities we serve by providing safe, reliable, economical and environmentally sustainable water, wastewater and recycled water services.”
More information can be found at www.emwd.org.