As part of the sixth National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation, Elgin Mayor David Kaptain is encouraging Elgin residents and businesses to conserve water, save energy and reduce pollution throughout the month of April.

During “Earth Month,” Elgin will compete against other cities nationwide to be considered the most “water wise.” Participants can enter their pledges on behalf of Elgin, Illinois at mywaterpledge.com.

“Water is an invaluable resource to our community and all people. It’s our responsibility to ensure future generations have access to safe, clean water,” said Mayor Kaptain. “Participating in this challenge is just one way to demonstrate Elgin’s longstanding commitment to conserve water and promote sustainable practices. Elgin will continue to find new ways to preserve this precious resource.”

Last year, residents from over 4,100 cities in all 50 U.S. states pledged to reduce their annual consumption of freshwater by 1.9 billion gallons, reduce waste sent to landfills by 42 million pounds and prevent more than 87,000 pounds of hazardous waste from entering our watersheds.

The challenge goes beyond recent drought issues and looks at the ways our water use will affect the future of our communities — from how we grow food to reducing polluted runoff.

Cities compete in the following population categories: 5,000-29,999 residents; 30,000-99,999 residents; 100,000-299,999 residents; 300,000-599,999 residents; and 600,000+ residents. Cities with the highest percentage of residents who take the challenge in their population category are entered into drawings for hundreds of eco-friendly prizes, including home improvement gift cards, home irrigation equipment and a Grand Prize Toyota Prius.

The challenge also features additional resources for residents to take their commitment of conservation even further, from regional water and energy resource issues to cost-saving tips at home.

The sixth National Mayor’ s Challenge for Water Conservation is presented by the Wyland Foundation and Toyota, with support from the U.S. EPA WaterSense, The Toro Company, National League of Cities, Conserva Irrigation, and Earth Friendly Products (makers of ECOS).