Saving water saves money.  Water agencies unite in new marketing campaign that supports conservation.

Officials say regional approach needed to protect future water supply

(Dallas, Texas)- Beginning Wednesday, April 1, 2009, Dallas-Fort Worth water customers will start receiving “messages” from their sidewalks in television and radio commercials airing in North Texas.  That’s just one of the creative concepts developed for the first-ever regional conservation advertising campaign so Dallas and Tarrant County water customers receive the same message about saving water this summer. The campaign’s underlying theme is:  Save water.  Nothing can replace it.

In the past, the Dallas Water Utilities and the Tarrant Regional Water District have had individual campaigns.  In 2009, however, officials agreed to regionalize their messaging to save taxpayer dollars and better communicate with the entire North Texas water consumer audiences.  Also, the two water agencies pooled each entity’s resources for a bilingual conservation campaign.

Currently, most areas of Texas are facing drought conditions, and despite recent rains, most Dallas and Fort Worth area lakes are below normal levels. The goal of the radio, television, newspaper, billboard and grass roots campaign is to reduce outdoor watering and waste. 

“Water conservation is much more than a Dallas issue; it’s a regional concern,” said Jody Puckett, director of Dallas Water Utilities.  “We all must conserve to assure adequate water supply to accommodate future growth and increased demand.  To that end, we anticipate the inclusion of other area water providers in the coming years.”

Tarrant Regional Water District executive director Jim Oliver underlined the importance of a regional campaign in advertising, planning, at the Legislature and in collaborative planning among the key water agencies. 

“We have regional water shortages- droughts are not a Dallas or Fort Worth problem, and we must work together to protect all of North Texas,” said Oliver.  “This first step in our advertising is both educational and provocative.  We think it will get your attention.  We also want to remind citizens that in these tough economic times, saving water- saves money.”

The television ad revealed today begins with ambient sound of a sprinkler system running with a homeowner in the foreground.  Soon the character gets inundated with text messages, skywriting, and on mobile billboards urging him to not “over-water” his lawn.  Instead, the ad concludes:  Save water.  Nothing can replace it. 

View the new SaveTarrantWater commercial by clicking on the following link:

http://www.savetarrantwater.com/Images1/Messages_FINAL.mov