TWDB Launches New Statewide Water Awareness Campaign
Water awareness campaigns in Texas are not new. They surfaced in the SB 1 discussions in 1997, were included in multiple legislative recommendations by the Water Conservation Advisory Council, and have been advanced by individual water providers across the state. In 2023, the Texas Legislature prioritized water awareness and provided the first allocation of state funding when they passed SB 28 and directed Texas Water Development Board to fund a statewide water awareness campaign from the Texas Water Fund. In response, TWDB contracted with Texas Water Foundation and authorized up to $2 million per year for five years for a campaign.
In this new framework, Texas Water Foundation contracted with creative partner Butler and media partner Shepherd to create an entirely new statewide water awareness campaign.
This is Texas Water was created to inspire Texans to understand and value water—where it comes from, how much their community will need in the future, and the water infrastructure and planning needed to help ensure Texas never sees a day without it.
Research conducted for the This is Texas Water campaign revealed that most Texans do not know where their water comes from, and do not know how water infrastructure supports their daily lives. Unlike past campaigns that have focused on conservation and individual actions, this campaign is focused on collective action. This is Texas Water is designed to close the knowledge gap by inspiring Texans to engage in shaping a secure water future for their own communities.
The campaign was launched in June and will have focused promotion through September. Featuring a zip code lookup tool on the website, This Is Texas Water uses storytelling and educational resources from regional water planning data.
Get to know your water at thisistexaswater.org and follow @thisistxwater on Instagram.
See the official TWDB campaign launch press release here.
What about Texas Runs on Water?
Texas Runs on Water® (TROW) is owned and managed by Texas Water Foundation. TROW will continue to exist in parallel with and in support of This is Texas Water to engage with everyday Texans. The Texas Runs on Water® campaign uses public art, marketing toolkits, and local outreach to remind Texans that everything we love about Texas is rooted in water.