Example of one Slide the City project. Photo from slidethecity.com
The Refresh Redding Festival and drought awareness campaign created by two Redding entrepreneurs has changed directions as a result of Redding’s positive water conservation results.
Originally, the Refresh Redding Festival was slated to take place on July 18th. The event featured a water conservation expo with various vendors, water activities, and educational booths. The event was headlined by “Slide the City”, a company from Utah that would place a 1,000 ft. slip-n-slide on Placer Street in downtown Redding.
The event was tailored to bring water conservation messaging to approximately 6,000 attendees in an exciting, unique, and low water use impact way. The same week the event permit was issued for Slide the City, the Redding Water Utility announced that Redding had successfully reached the target water reduction of 36% for the month of May.
For June, Redding has cut back even more water use – 42% month-over-month according to the last tally. The event organizers immediately understood that the people of Redding have made a concerted effort to respond to the state’s historic drought and decided to take the event in a different direction to further the water conservation conversation. The new direction of Refresh Redding can be broken down into two categories – the festival and the campaign.
The Refresh Redding Water Conservation Campaign
The Refresh Redding Water Conservation campaign will last the duration of the State of California’s declared drought emergency (currently 270 days). To recognize those who are actively cutting water consumption in Redding, Refresh Redding has created a website at refreshredding.com where the public can learn more about water conservation and take a pledge to cut water use.
So far, the website has logged nearly 1.7 million gallons in water savings. Participants in the pledge learn where the average Redding home consumes the most water and can view tips and tricks on how to save more water. In conjunction with the website, the Refresh Redding team has distributed 120 of 1,000 lawn signs to Redding residents who are letting their lawns go stylishly brown.
The blue and yellow signs have a write-in line where individuals or companies can write in which ways they intend to cut water use. Signs are currently posted at Shasta Regional Medical Center, the Shasta Family YMCA, Turtle Bay Exploration Park, and at many other businesses and homes in Shasta County. Over 250 “Drought Dirty” bumper stickers have also been distributed in Redding.
The bumper stickers encourage car owners to either wash their cars at a more water conservation professional car wash business, or to let their cars go dirty for the duration of the drought emergency. Both the bumper stickers and lawn signs are available online at refreshredding.com or at the front entrance to Turtle Bay Exploration Park.
Refresh Redding intends to spend a few summer days canvassing neighborhoods to thank Redding residents who have let their lawns go brown and will be asking all residents participating in water cuts to encourage others with a lawn sign.
The Refresh Redding Festival
Refresh Redding is currently soliciting feedback from the community as to whether the following event will be viable. On August 22nd, surrounding the Redding Aquatic Center, Refresh Redding plans to hold a drought expo featuring vendors from all over the north state that have a water conservation centered business.
If the plan goes through, the Aquatic Center will be opened up free of charge and Redding residents can enjoy a vast array of vendor booths, food, live entertainment, and libations while enjoying an end-of-summer celebration by the pool. An update on the event will be announced on June 26th following a meeting with many local area irrigators, landscapers, and other water conservation businesses.
From press release.
