Water is hot!

This article is a partnership between the ValleyCrest Water Bloggers and Lawn & Landscape. Read more at www.valleycresttakeson.com. Email waterbloggers@giemedia.com with questions and comments.

Approximately 20 years ago, a local waste management company hosted a recycling fair at my school to educate students about recycling and inspire us to become recycling advocates at home. I don’t know how well their propaganda worked on my peers, but I was certainly sold.

Although the recycling movement began in the late 1960s, it really started building momentum in the ‘90s, around the time of that recycling fair. Today, another 20 years later, recycling is finally a normal part of most people’s lives.

Now it’s water management’s turn.

While the water management movement began even earlier than recycling, it is definitely having its moment in the sun right now. Thanks to current technology, the message is spread louder, broader and faster than ever before. Conservation programs in schools are creating a new generation of young activists, whose influence is felt far beyond their circle of friends and family.

Water-related ad campaigns are some of the most creative and engaging campaigns you’ll ever experience. Cool new water efficient products pop up every week, appealing to eco-friendly, tech-savvy and budget-conscious consumers. This isn’t just a hippie movement anymore; it is going mainstream and getting more sophisticated.

For decades the messages you’d hear most about water conservation were “turn off the water while you brush your teeth,” and “take shorter showers.”

Good advice, but those efforts will save very little water compared to other uses. Today’s water management messages are focused on making a greater difference: the water-energy nexus, landscape water usage, the worldwide financial impact of wasting resources. At the speed and depth this is moving, good water management will not take another 20 years to become a normal part of life, it may take five or 10.

Landscape contractors are in an excellent position to take advantage of this trend. Become an advocate for water conservation. You don’t have to climb on a soapbox, just be available when customers have questions and offer your expertise.

Stay up to date on the latest news in the water community through social media, classes, or trade events. Emphasize this expertise in your marketing materials so prospects are aware that your priorities match theirs. You have always worked for better water management, now is the right time to make water management work for you.