At this week’s Green California Summit in Sacramento, the city of Long Beach was given the 2008 Green California Leadership Award for Water Management for its outstanding environmental achievements.

“I’m proud of our City,” said Mayor Bob Foster in a released statement, “I’m pleased with the job our Water Commission is doing, and I am especially grateful to our citizens for really stepping up and showing some strong leadership here.”

A water shortage was officially declared in Long Beach in September 2007, and the city has set record low marks for water usage in three months since then.  Since the shortage announcement, Long Beach has achieved an overall 8% water consumption reduction.

“The only way a successful conservation effort is going to be sustained, is if we ultimately have all of southern California on board,” said Bill Townsend, President of the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners, in the statement.  “We’re very happy to have this acknowledgement and we hope it inspires others in southern California to be more aggressive in this cause.”

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