The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities presents "If Water Could Talk!" Creative Contest 2025

The City of Richmond Department of Public Utilities recognizes the strength and importance of the voices and ideas of our youth. In recognition of Source Water Protection Week, DPU seeks to educate the public, and especially the youth, about our city's water source and encourage them to protect it. DPU invites students who attend Richmond Public Schools and/or live in the city of Richmond to participate in a creative writing and art contest to express their thoughts about protecting our valuable source water, the James River. This year’s theme is “If Water Could Talk”, and we are excited for students to illustrate what the theme means to them in reference to protecting the James.

The James River is a vital component of the Richmond region. Not only do residents and visitors use the river for a variety of activities such as swimming, fishing, and boating but the James River is the sole source that provides the city with clean water to drink. Let's not forget the vast amount of wildlife that thrives off of a safe and healthy watershed. The Department of Public Utilities provides safe and clean water to our consumers ensures that water returns to the James that same way, but environmental stewardship is a shared responsibility. How are you helping to keep Richmond's water cycle, from the James and back, as clean as possible? For more information on DPU's water and wastewater treatment process, projects improving Richmond's Combined Sewer System or any of our other efforts, please visit us at https://www.rva.gov/public-utilities.

DPU's Values and Mission

Mission: To provide safe and reliable services while creating exceptional value. 

Vision to Our Customers:  To proactively serve the utility needs of regional customers through environmental stewardship and resource conservation, while providing cost effective, safe service.

All entries must be received by end of day on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.

This year there are 3 categories to which students can submit: Essay/Short story, Song/Poem and Art.

Essay/Short Story:

Students may submit an essay or a short story of no more than 600 words on the topic, "If water could talk".

Poem/Song:

Students may submit a written version or a recording of a poem or an original song.

Art:

Students may submit art using any of the following media - pastels, watercolor, acrylic, oil paints, colored pencils, crayons, spray paint or other non-digital media where pigment is applied to a physical surface such as canvas or paper. Submissions may also be in the form of sculpture, collage, photography and digital art. 

All work should be submitted in the correct section below according to the student's grade level. Written entries can be typed below or copy/pasted into the appropriate textbox. Artwork can be uploaded using the "Browse Files" option. A picture or video of students' art will also be accepted.  If there are issues uploading entries below, work can be emailed to dpuc@rva.gov; students should still submit this form and indicate in the text box that their work has been emailed. For any questions regarding submissions, please call (804) 780-6781.

1st Place:

• SurPRIZE gift!
• DPU social media shoutout
• Entry featured in DPU employee newsletter 
• Swag bag and certificate

2nd Place:

• DPU social media shoutout
• Entry featured in DPU employee newsletter
• Swag bag and certificate

Largest Class Participation*:

• DPU social media shoutout
• Pennant recognizing award
• Teacher swag bag
• Class choice of pizza or ice cream party!

Largest School Participation:

• DPU social media shoutout
• Pennant recognizing award
• Rain Barrel installation at school/school garden
• A visit from our mascot, J.R., at an event of school's choice!

*To qualify for this prize, please have students enter the appropriate name and email for their teacher contact on the next page of the submission form and indicate at the top of their essay what block they have that teacher’s class.

Rules –

1.    Participants must be a student of Richmond Public Schools OR a resident of the City of Richmond attending a school, and age 18 or under.

2.    To qualify, participants must submit their work via the online submission form by the published deadline.

3.    One (1) entry per participant will be accepted. Choose one (1) category to which you will submit.

4.    Written entries MUST be composed on the given topic and adhere to the maximum word count of 600 words.

5.    All entries must have been composed by the youth; dictating to parents to input into the online form is acceptable for younger participants submitting an essay, short story, poem or song.

6.    All artwork must be original.

By checking the box below, I affirm that the work I have submitted is my own and it meets the requirements stated above.