Considerations In Planning A Water Utility Communications Program

• Reasonable funding requests are approved.
• Water issues are not sensationalized by the news media or special interest groups.
• Any misinformation is countered before becoming "accepted truth".

A well-developed communications program permits the water utility to earn the confidence of the public. This confidence enables the utility to have a positive image, or "brand" in it's community.

Much of America's water and wastewater infrastructure was constructed nearly a century ago for a much smaller population. While the water infrastructure degrades, investment in maintenance and upgrades declines. In high-population growth areas, water sustainability is in question. Water and sewer rates do not always accurately reflect the cost of the service the water utility provides.

Without clean, healthy drinking water and a system to process wastewater safely back into the water cycle, a general decline in quality of life and health will result. But as long as the water pours from the tap, the toilet flushes, and the media doesn't report that waterborne disease is a problem, the general public remains unconcerned. The ability of a water utility to justify rate increase and obtain the funding necessary to maintain, repair and upgrade infrastructure is seriously degraded without ratepayer and stakeholder confidence.

Ratepayers and stakeholders need to have confidence in water utility's ability to provide value. Water utilities need to communicate their commitment to:

• Public safety and health.
• Protecting the environment.
• Efficient use of funds.

If a water utility does not communicate the value it provides:

• Confidence in the utility will be eroded because ratepayers and stakeholders will continue to get water information from the media, much of which is misleading or inaccurate.
• The influence of special interest and advocacy groups that provide information to the community could translate into a loss of public confidence.
• Loss of confidence in the water utility could result in a decrease in support for rate increases, and political support for funding capital improvements.

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