Staff Report

The Santa Barbara County Water Agency is pleased to announce that voting is underway for the 21^st Annual WaterWise High School Video Contest’s “People’s Choice Award.” The contest challenged students throughout Santa Barbara County to produce fun, creative 30-second videos that reinforce the importance of water conservation in our community. This year’s theme was“Life After Lawn.” Videos have been used previously as public service announcements on local television and in movie theaters.

There were 10 videos submitted by 28 students from seven different schools across the county, including Bishop Garcia Diego, Dos Pueblos, Orcutt Academy, Pioneer Valley, and the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School.

The public is invited to view all 11 videos submitted. Anyone with a YouTube or Gmail account can vote by “Liking” their favorite videos on YouTube at https://bit.ly/2QWYNec. All votes must be submitted before the deadline of 12 p.m. on Friday, April 17, 2020. County Water Agency Manager Fray Crease said, “Watching and voting for your favorite videos is both educational and fun for the whole family.”

In addition to the “People’s Choice Award,” judges from local water providers award the First, Second, and Third Place and Honorable Mention prizes ranging up to $1,000 to the awarded schools. Students on the winning teams also receive cash prizes made possible by in-kind donations from generous sponsors, including Carollo Engineers, Univision, Geosyntec, Dudek, Ewing Irrigation, All-Around Landscape Supply, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Splash n’ Dash Carwash, and NCM Movie Theatres.

The contest is funded by the Network of Santa Barbara County Water Providers and the Santa Barbara County Water Agency. Together, these agencies sponsor programs that promote water conservation and awareness in the county.

Visit waterwisesb.org to discover more ways to maximize your water efficiency, and to view all the competing videos and vote for your favorites!