TAMPA — There’s still time left for students to submit their artwork as part of the Drop Savers Poster Contest, which is highlighting the importance of water conservation.

Hillsborough County Water Resources and the city of Tampa water department is looking for students to put their creativity to use by coming up with a slogan and/or drawing. Anyone can enter from kindergarten through 12th grade, and grades will be separated into five divisions where eligible winners can move on to the state-wide contest.

The submission deadline is Wednesday, March 1, and must follow guidelines. Each poster must convey a water conservation idea in a slogan and/or drawing, drawn on 8½-by-11-inch white paper, must be original and can use crayons, paint, color pencils, or markers. No highlighters, photos, or computer graphics are permitted.

“We started the contest back in 2016 as an outreach effort to get students involved in water conservation so they can begin contemplating the idea of conserving water at a young age,” said Kelsey Smith, of Hillsborough County Environmental Services.

The contest is viewed as a fun and educational way to make water conservation ambassadors out of children. It can hopefully also build a solid foundation for a life ahead where they’ll be making more important decisions about conserving water.

First-place winners from each division will receive a water-filling station installation at their school (only available for public schools), customized water bottles depicting their art to share with classmates, posters of their artwork for home and to be displayed in their art classroom, a water conservation retrofit kit (which includes low-flow aerators and showerhead, toilet leak detection dye tablets, hose nozzle, and more), plus a few more perks.

First-, second-, and third-place winners from each division will receive display of their artwork on HCFLGov.net and Tampa.gov. All participants will receive a certificate of appreciation.

State winners will receive an Amazon gift card and will see their art displayed on FSAWWA.org, along with a swag bag.

“We’ve received feedback from management that this is their favorite type of outreach that we do,” Smith said. “It’s great to see the children’s ideas of water conservation through their creativity.”

Water conservation can be as easy as not letting water unnecessarily run while brushing your teeth to timing your showers. For adults, keeping an eye on how much water you use to water your lawn can make a difference. It can also mean preventing runoff from building up in storm drains or letting fertilizers from polluting bodies of water.

To learn more about the contest rules, visit www.hillsboroughcounty.org/en/residents/property-owners-and-renters/water-and-sewer/drop-savers-poster-contest.