Student filmmakers honored as part of Water Awareness Month in San Diego

By Anthony King | SDUN Editor

San Diego’s Public Utilities Department unleashed a number of campaigns geared toward water conservation this month, Water Awareness Month in California.

“San Diegans Waste No Water” is the official moniker for the campaign, and includes demonstrations, educational workshops, a children’s poster contest and a film contest featuring short films on water conservation.

Local student filmmakers joined Mayor Bob Filner, Council President Todd Gloria and Council President Pro Tem Sherri Lightner May 15 at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center in Balboa Park to screen the eight finalists in the film contest, followed by the announcement of this year’s winning film. This is the contest’s third year.

“I am especially pleased when such talent and imagination is put to use toward a cause as important as water conservation,” Filner said in a press release. “With this year’s exceptional field of entries, I can’t wait to see what’s playing next year.”

The annual film contest features work by high school and college students who submit a 20-second water conservation film, which is then reviewed by City staff and a panel of judges. This year’s winning film was “The Hydrologist” by San Diego State University student Michael J. Bowie.

Bowie’s film featured “vivid cinematography” contrasting black and white film with color “to show the benefits rain barrels can bring to your garden,” campaign representatives said in the release. Runners up were “The Cactus Brothers” by Carlos Grijalva of Point Loma High School and “Calvin the Cactus” by Aaron Gomes, Alex Mouritzen and Alexis Meraz of Southwestern College.

The film screenings were one day after the City Council honored winners of this year’s Children’s Water Conservation Poster Contest at a ceremony held during the May 14 council meeting. Nineteen children were celebrated for participating in the 13th annual poster contest, also organized by the Public Utilities Department.

“I am excited to once again participate in the City’s annual Water Conservation Poster Contest, which gives students an opportunity to inspire all San Diegans to enjoy and protect our most valuable natural resource,” Lightner said in a separate release. “While doing something fun and creative, children can help us to remember ‘San Diego Wastes No Water.’”

Winning posters will be on display at the San Diego Watercolor Society Gallery at Liberty Station from June 1 – 30 and at the San Diego County Fair’s Creative Youth Exhibit from June 8 – July 4.

“Wise water use is a habit that should be learned at a very young age,” Filner said. “Not only are all these kids incredibly creative, they understand the importance of treating water as one of California’s most precious natural resources.”

Gloria and the council have been busy with implementing other water-conscious initiatives as well, including the approval of the Water Purification Demonstration’s final report earlier this month that would help implement indirect potable reuse in the City’s water system.

“The council has been pursuing [this] for years now, but I think we are doubling down on this approach,” Gloria previously said. “We’re going to do as much as we can locally, weather that’s through conservation, graywater systems [or] indirect potable reuse.”

San Diego’s Water Awareness Month continues with several educational events, including water conservation clinics at Lowe’s in Mission Valley and Home Depot on Fairmont Avenue Saturday, May 25 at 10 a.m. Additionally, the Mission Hills Branch Library is hosting a children’s water conservation story time Friday, May 31 at 10:30 a.m., and Viewer’s Choice Award votes for the film contest are being accepted through May 31.

“Imagine the impact we can have on our water supply when we understand where it goes, how it is purified [and] how we can do our part to save water,” Filner said. “Let’s all work together to do our part to be responsible consumers.”

For more information on events, films and other conservation efforts visit sandiego.gov/water/.