Arlington’s Water-Saving Wild West Adventure

Published on September 15, 2023

By Asante Diamond, Arlington Water Utilities

A water conservation-themed performance called “The Tarrant County Wild Water Showdown” reached more than 3,500 students across 14 elementary schools in Arlington ISD in the 2022-2023 school year.

The educational initiative is a collaboration between The National Theatre for Children (NTC) and Tarrant Regional Water District. The shows are provided free of charge to schools in the Arlington Water Utilities service area as part of a partnership between the City and Tarrant Regional Water District.

The interactive Wild Water Showdown was presented by professional actors in both live and on-demand video presentations. Highlighting a water shortage and showdown in the fictional town of Dodge Ball City, the characters sought the help of the students to resolve the water conflict and teach the villain how to conserve water, shouting out “Use what you need and need what you use!”

To reinforce learning and complement the performance, students received a printed bilingual student playbook and access to a digital learning platform with games and activities. Educators also received a classroom conservation-themed poster and access to an online toolkit, making it easier to incorporate conservation lessons into their curriculum.

The impact of the program was evident in the feedback from educators.

“This was a great program for our kids! They couldn’t stop talking about it when they got back to class and really enjoyed it along with the free activity book!”, said a 3rd grade teacher at Thelma Jones Elementary School. A second-grade teacher at Blanton Elementary School also shared that the program was “fun, educational, and entertaining.”

The success of The Tarrant County Wild Water Showdown has laid a solid foundation for future initiatives. NTC and TRWD are currently in the process of crafting a new live program for the upcoming year, with more opportunities for water conservation education. Teachers who are interested in signing up for this year’s program can contact youthconservation@trwd.com.

For more information about water conservation, visit SaveTarrantWater.com.