The San Patricio Municipal Water District has an active public outreach and water conservation education program.
The Water District outreach program continues to stress that the two most effective ways to conserve water are to stop plumbing leaks and to “water wisely” when applying water to your lawn, garden or landscaping.
When possible the District has an information booth and answers questions from the public 
at events such as the San Patricio & Aransas Counties A&H Show, Bayfest, Earth Day, Shrimporee, Windfest and Oysterfest. In recent years staff has also participated in parades in the district’s service area.
The District works cooperatively with the Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardener Association, the Texas AgriLife Extension Service and local nursery operators to promote water efficient and locally adapted landscaping. The District was a primary sponsor of a plant selection guide developed by the Master Gardeners. It stresses the use of native and adapted plants for use in the Coastal Bend. The 40-page guide called “In Our Coastal Gardens” is available online on this site arranged by types of plants (large trees, small trees, large shrubs, etc.). Click on the category headings on the Selecting Water-Wise Plants for the Texas Coastal Bend page.
The District also works with municipal water departments in their community conservation and education programs. We also provide plant tours and guest speakers to discuss water wise landscaping and rainwater harvesting.
To highlight the opportunities for rainwater capture, the District has participated in projects at the Welder Wildlife Refuge, a Taft elementary school and a demonstration area at the San Patricio County Fairgrounds.
The District is using bottles of drinking water as part of our ongoing conservation education effort. The water is being bottled by District staff and labeled with a reminder to “Water Wisely.” While you can’t buy it, the Water District does provide small quantities of bottled water 
for conservation education programs and for special community events in the District’s service area.
SCHOOL PROGRAMS – The District works with local school districts to teach students about water resources and water conservation. This includes providing thousands of book covers each year to students in the Water District's service area. The book covers include water facts, puzzles and conservation information.
The District also cooperates in the distribution of an educational program aimed at 4th graders developed by the Texas Water Development Board. Called Major Rivers, it teaches where water comes from, how it is treated and how it gets to our water faucet.
Karen Ivey is the district’s conservation outreach and education coordinator. She can be contacted at kti@spmwd.net.
