Insights

For the second year in a row, Raftelis is the winner in the Communications category of the Environmental Policy Innovation Center’s (EPIC) 2021 Water Data Competition.

While we often value water and wastewater utilities for the services they provide to our communities, we often overlook their role as economic engines. Without safe drinking water and treatment of our wastewater, our local economies would cease to exist. So how do we know if these critical agencies are on a path to becoming less economically viable themselves? And how can we prevent it?

Years—even decades—into on-again, off-again drought planning and restrictions in the Western U.S. mean water utilities are looking beyond short-term fixes. Although water supply planning has been following this trajectory for years, financial strategies have been slower to follow this path. Many utilities have adopted “drought rates” and have them ready to go should they need to help curb consumption and pump-up revenue in the short-term.

Check out part one and part two of NACWA’s Lunch & Learn, Tellevate Your Story where we discuss how to elevate storytelling through strategic communication in the water utility industry.

Inflation is at levels not seen in 40 years and more than half of U.S. states have caps on increases to local government taxes. It’s a new situation for many and we expect many local governments will be challenged by rising prices without the ability to increase taxes come 2023 budget time. Our advice is to get going now to develop a strategy to navigate tough times.

While your customer service team may dread a full policy manual reviews and update, two types of policies related to adjustments and payment plans probably need a refresh, especially as some customers have struggled with service affordability over the course of the pandemic. We’ve been working with utilities to spiff up their policies and have some tips on how to get the policies to generate the outcomes you want.

There’s a significant push for more resiliency in public sector organizations, but we think what’s really happening is a transition from a traditional reliability focus. That focus often means high levels of infrastructure investment to meet a goal of no service interruptions. Could we be shifting to more realistic goals of acceptable levels of loss of service because of climate adaptation?

If you are one of the 42% of Facebook users that has taken a break from social media you might be wondering whether Facebook is still a valuable communication tool. Our strategic communications expert Sam Villegas is urging local governments and utilities to take a hard look at their social media platforms to ensure they are where their residents are.

About this time every year, hundreds of people at utilities across the country open up their file of last year’s Consumer Confidence Report (CCR), update the tables of data, share it with their lab manager or subject matter experts for a quality check, and then send either mail it to customers or plop it on their website.