"Hi, I'm Splash! Let's use our water wisely"

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Splash

What is Splash?

Splash is the official mascot for EcoWater's demand management public awareness programmes. His job is to talk to people and tell them about water conservation issues.

Splash is instantly recognisable as a character for educational and promotional campaigns. Adults and children alike enjoy the fun element of a passionate water drop.

Splash represents a natural resource but has been imbued with some personality. This bouncy and fun-loving character is keen to work with anyone interested in promoting the key message to use water wisely and the benefits of water conservation. He also represents many activities by many people associated with Waitakere City's EcoWater.

Splash genesis

Splash first appeared in 2008 as part of an EcoWater campaign to highlight the need to use less drinking water in our daily lives in order to save on expensive infrastructure costs. The flyer entitled "Two dam good reasons to stop wasting drinking water", accompanied each water bill, advising customers how they could take more control over their water usage.

Since then, Splash has appeared on posters, email signatures, banners at trade shows and very actively on the council website as an animated gif file. He was officially introduced to the public via the ThreeWaters newsletter which accompanied all water bills from February 2009.

Recently Splash has become the mascot for the Water Ambassadors of New Zealand network, proudly featuring on members' badges. He is also active in the community and in business circles, promoting water-efficiency via social media such as Facebook and Twitter. Friends of Splash on Facebook and followers of Splash on Twitter are very welcome.

Splash's conservation role

Splash's mission is to support Waitakere City Council's goal of reducing drinking water use by 25% by 2025. That goal was set in 2005 when residents were averaging 167 litres per person per day. Usage is now down to 157 litres per person per day, a great result but still a long way from the goal of 125 litres.

Splash addresses community groups on rain-harvesting technologies, conducts infrastructure education, heads up consumer promotional campaigns, assists suppliers of water-efficient products and services to distribute water messages to the public, participates in water events.

Splash bio

This intelligent water drop has been recycled millions of times throughout our planet's water cycles but there came a point at which people urgently needed to be made aware that water is a finite resource, that our planet can't make more of it despite our population growth and that we all need to be less wasteful of drinking water. That was 1994 and the 'big drought'.

Splash enjoyed his time in the beautiful kauri forests and wild west coast beaches of Waitakere. He saw the beauty and resources of the environment but he also saw distressing things like neglected leaky taps, single flush toilets, sprinklers left on and 20 minute showers. It was time to take some responsibility for increasing public awareness so Splash and EcoWater collaborated on educational and promotional campaigns to alert residents to water issues and provide helpful advice on what to do to reduce wastage.

While working with the council, Splash introduced his son Splosh, to a younger audience: members of the Water Ambassadors Kids Club for children aged five to ten years. Splosh is very cute and rather busy helping the Kids Club members to spread the water-efficiency messages so Splash and Splosh don't get to hang out at work together very often.  Still when they do, they have a great time.

Ways to enjoy time with Splash

Become a water Ambassador of NZ - www.waterambassadors.co.nz

Become a friend of Splash on Facebook

Follow what Splash is doing and thinking on Twitter - www.twitter.com/Splash4nz

Ask Splash how it can help in your own water conservation efforts via Splash@waitakere.govt.nz

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