In celebration of Imagine a Day Without Water 2022, a yearly campaign aimed at promoting water preservation in the United States, Houston Public Works launched a social media challenge to encourage locals to showcase the importance of water. The contest was hosted on TikTok, a popular platform for short-form user-generated videos, with a chance to win a maximum of USD $1,000 in prize money. Grundfos (Brookshire, Texas) and the Southeast Chapter of the Texas American Water Works Association co-organized the competition.

From dozens of entries submitted by Houston residents, contest judges chose Mimi diLuna (@mimidiluna) as this year’s first-place winner. DiLuna won USD $1,000 for an original rap song reminding listeners to use water sensibly while brushing their teeth, washing their hands, and cleaning dishes. The 37-second song not only relays conservation messages in both English and Spanish, but also includes useful facts — for example, that turning off water when not required while brushing teeth can save approximately 19 L (5 gal) of water per person per day.

Second place went to Gabriela Gonzalez (@not_able.to.create), who animated a scene in which aliens arrive on Earth and steal the planet’s water. After the planet abruptly catches fire, the aliens quickly return the water. Gonzalez’s efforts earned her USD $500.

Third-place winner Holden Aramburu (@holdinholden) took a different approach, creating a short film highlighting Houston’s most beautiful spots and emphasizing the role of clean and plentiful water in their appeal. Aramburu won a USD $250 prize. Houston Public Works Director Carol Haddock said that TikTok’s popularity, versatility, and ability to target specific geographic areas and demographics make the app a powerful tool for water sector outreach.

“TikTok is becoming a great social media tool to spread awareness about the importance of water and why conservation efforts are so important, no matter how big or small the effort,” Haddock said in a statement. “I applaud the winners and all the entries for their time and effort to showcase the value of water and why it’s important for Houston now and in the future.”

Watch all submissions from Houston Public Works’ Imagine a Day Without Water TikTok Contest by searching #ValueWaterHouston on TikTok.