[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]
TD23.W38 1992

United States			Office of Water			AO-2-92
Environmental Protection	(WH-547)				March 1992
Agency

Water Resource
Magagement

Ideas For Community Officials

Success Stories: 

Kokomo Rate Increase Passes

With Flying Colors

Douglas County

-wer Authority

--th the Community

Wellesley Increases Revenues

While Cutting Peak

Water Consumption

In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,

Hydrants Are for Fires

Not for Fun

Community-Wide Conservation

Takes Hold in Palo Alto,

California

1992
THE YEAR OF CLEAN WATER

Contemplating how to gain support for a wastewater rate increase?  Kohomo, Indiana, has
the key.  Struggling with the need to reduce water consumption while increasing revenues?
Wellesley, Massachusets, understands.  No doubt, you are faced with these and many other
water and wastewater management challenges.  You are not alone.  Water utilities throughout
the country are grappling with the same issue.  The common problem:  more service demands
with less resources.

A successful?  Public education.   A straightforward, effective way to solve your water
resource management problems.  Douglasville-Douglas County, Georgia, is conviced that
communicating with the publice is as necessary as reading water meters.  The country's com-
munity relations success arises from ingenuity and a shoestring bedget.  Fortunately, these
successes are yours for the taking.  Inside, five utlities tell us how they use public education to
solve a variety of water resource management problems, from illegal fire hydrant openings in
Philadelphia, Pennsyslania, to drought imposed water restrictions in Palo Alto, Caolifornia.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency invites you to follow their lead.  It Works!

Riding the Wave of Public Education









                                                                                                   assumed responsibility for the program. Since                        officials made it their job to educate citizens about
                                                                                                   1981, program costs have averaged about $4,700                       the value of their community's wastewater services
                              Wellesley Increases                                                  a year, including materials and intern, tabor.                       and the benefits of a rate increase. Kokomo
                              Revenues While Cutting                                                    Through this program, Wellesley met its goals:                  officials conducted a well-planned public educa-
                              Peak Water Consumption                                               to reduce peak summertime demand and overall                         tion program that resulted in acceptance of a 45
                                                                                                   per capita consumption, and to foster a conserva-                    percent wastewater rate increase. Local businesses
                              Wellesley, Mazadnisetts                                              tion educ among Wellesley residents. Results of                      publicly supported the rate increase, and in two
                              Department ofPubfic Works Water                                      recent telephone surveys show that 95% of the                        public hearings fewer than two dozen citizens
                              C"zseivation Program                                                 departmeties customers are aware of its cons;erva-                   spoke against it.
                              Community P r ofile:                                                 tion program and about half of these customers are                        The cornerstone of Kokomo's strategy was
                              Metropolitan area community 17 miles west of Boston                  using less water. The department owes this                           advance planning. First, officials took a close look
                                                                                                   outstanding success rate to its comprehensive                        at the utility's operations and took steps to improve
                              Target Audience:                                                     strategy, which ties peak demand rates, full cost                    the plant's efficiency. In three years, the city
                              8,000 residential customers                                          pricing, sound management, and public education                      significantly upgraded plant operations and
                              Program Goals:                                                       into one exemplary water conservation program.                       lowered the cost of treating wastewater from $203
                              Reducewater demand, particularlyduring the summer months,            If you would like to find out more about this                        to $172 per million gallons. Meanwhile, the
                              and increase revenues                                                program, please call or write:                                       mayor, the superintendent of the wastewater
                                                                                                   William Edgerton, Assistant Director                                 treatment plant, and city staff put together a top-
                              R a s; u I t s:                                                      Wellesley Department of Public Works                                 notch strategy for winning public support and
                              Pteduced the number of days demand ex"eded supply by 90%             455 Worcester Street                                                 neutralizing opposition to the much needed rate
                              (from 7-10 days to 1 day), lowered overall per capita consLunp-                                                                           increase.
                              non, and increased revenues through peak demand rate                 WeffesleyHiUsMA           02181                                           Kokomo's strategy highlighted the wastewater
                              structure                                                            617235-7600                                                          treatment plant's strengths as well as its weak-
                                                                                                                                                                        nesses. The city praised the plant's improved
                              Wellesley is a small New England town that met its                                                                                        operations, which had yielded a savings of $31 per
                              own water needs for over 100 years. nen                                                                                                   million gallons treated, and spoke frankly of sewer
                              Wellesley encountered two major problems:                            Kokomo Rate Increase                                                 odor problems and the need to repair and replace
                              excessive demand for water and lack of revenues.                     Passes With Flying Colors                                            sewer lines. It identified sewer problems in every
                              For about seven to ten days every summer from                                                                                             sector of the community and targeted 17 critical
                              1970- 1981, demand for water had exceeded                            Kokomo, Indiana                                                      problems for improvements. Kokomo's campaign
                              available supply by up to 1.6 million gallons of                     Wastewater Treatment Plant Sewer Rate                                message highlighted the need to raise reve       'nuesto
                              water a day To make matters worse, water                             Increase Campaign                                                    fund these improvements and appealed to the
                              revenues did not cover the full cost of providing                                                                                         community's desire to have their neighborhood
                              water service to the community. In 1981, the                         Community P            rofile:                                       sewers fixed.
                              departnienes expenditur-es exceeded revenues by                      Medium-sized community 60 miles north of Indianapolis                     Kokomo's campaign strategy had three parts:
                              $182,000. The town Eved an interesting challenge:                    Target Audience:                                                     convince the city council, educate the media to
                              reducing water use while increasing revenues.                        20,000 residentiallcommercial customers                              create a positive media image, and inform custom-
                                  'Me department created a very successful                         Program Goals:                                                       ers. The mayor and the plant superintendent were
                              conservation program that relies on community                        Gain public support for a 45% rate increase                          the key spokespersons. First, they briefed the city
                              participation. Through a combination of public                                                                                            council, and then the media. Anticipating that the
                              education and financial incentives, the program                      R a s u I t s                                                        council would need to evaluate the rate increase
                              has helped the community dramatically reduce its                     Overwhehning public support; 45% rate increase approved              and answer numerous public inquiries, they
                                                                                                                                                                        supplied council members with detailed informa-
                              water consumption. As a resA the town has
                              reduced its peak water demand to only one day                        Who would think you could actually gain support                      tion on finances, equipment upgrades, and
                              each summer, a 90% reduction over previous                           for a 45 percent sewer rate increase? Kokomo,                        capacity.They provided the media with concise
                              demand. The program has also lowered the cost of                     Indiana - that's who..Locat officials in Kokomo                      interpretations of complex information, complete
                              providing water to the community by reducing                         recognized that customers are willing to pay a fair                  with charts and graphs, so reporters could
                              overall per c-dpita demand.                                          price for something they value. And Kokomo                           accurately relay the facts to the public.
                                  Wellesley's program discourages excessive                                                                                                  The mayor kicked-off the public campaign
                              summertime water use by charging customers                                                                                                during his annual State of the City address by
                                                                                                                                                                        highlighting the city's wastewater operations. The
                              more for water during the summer months. This                                                                                             mayor and his technical expert, the plant superin-
                              peak demand rate covers the actual cost of
                              providing water to customers and sends a strong
                              signal to the community about the value of water
                              and the need to conserve.
                                  Wellesley reinforces this message by delivering
                              public education materials to its customers through
                              meter readers and water bill mserts. The materials,
                              which include pamphlets, door hangers, and
                                                                                                                                 bf 40A
                              brochures, encourage voluntary water-saving
                              techniques, such as alternating lawn watering days
                              between odd and even numbered homes and
                              installing water-saving plumbing devices in
                              households.
                                  Wellesley extends its conservation message to
                              elementary school children by including water
                              education in the curriculum of every school in
                              town. A department representative visits all of
                              Wellesley's fourth grade classrooms and teaches
                              students how to conserve water at home.
                                  To reduce water loss and ensure that commu-
                              mty water savings are accurately tracked, the
                              program includes leak detection and the identifica-
                              tion of faulty water meters. Faulty meters are
                              replaced immediately upon discovery. Wellesley
                              keeps program costs relatively low by using in-
                              house resources. The Departmenes assistant
                              director and a paid summer mtem from a nearby
                              college initially implemented the program. The
                              Department's customer service staff has since










                 tendent, made more than 50 presentations to clubs                                                                                                     information on water issues through creative
                 and service groups. They distributed a brochure                            Douglasville-                                                              activities, instructional aides, and incentive
                 explaining the plant's need for a rate increase, and                                                                                                  programs. This program enables the authority to
                 extended invitations to an open house tour of the                          Douglas County Water and                                                   reach not only children, but also their families,
                 plant to each group. All ratepayers received the                           Sewer Authority Connects                                                   school administrators, and teachers. The Partners
                 same brochure as a bill insert. They also invited all                      With the Community                                                         in Education program includes:
                 of the city's schools to tour the plant.                                                                                                              &   Incorporating instruction on water conserva-
                       While Kokomo officials had planned the                               Douglasville-Douglas County, Georgia                                           tion in school curriculum;
                 campaign over a three-year period, they actually                           WaterandSewer Autbority (WSA) Public                                       0   Classroom programs for elementary children;
                 delivered their message to the community in six                            Education Campaign                                                         0   Tours of the authority's facilities;
                 months. During the years leading up to the
                 increase, the city gained public favor by regularly                        C ommunity Profile:                                                        0   A poster contest during National Drinking
                 updating the community on treatment operations                             Suburban community 25 miles northwest of Atlanta                               Water Week; and
                 and publicizing the fact that the plant's internal                         Target Audience:                                                           0   A school perfect attendance contest with
                 cost-saving measures had postponed the rate                                22,000 residentiallcommercial customers                                        bright blue ribbon awards every six weeks,
                 increase for three years.                                                  Program Goals:                                                                 and an ice cream sundae party at the end of
                       All campaign work was done by treatment                                                                                                             the year.
                 plant employees and the mayor's staff. This kept                           Create a positive image of the Authority and educate consumers
                 costs to a minimum and encouraged the staff to                             about water resource management                                                Besides working with its adopted school, the
                 become an integral part of the campaign. Staff                             R e s u I t s :                                                            authority also conducts classroom presentations
                 created the information materials, slides and other                        informed consumers; secured a posilave reputanon in the                    for other local elementary and high school
                 visual aids, and conducted plant tours.                                    community                                                                  children, and sends school teachers resource
                       The city's efforts were highly rewarded. The                                                                                                    manuals containing basic water education
                 community supported the 45 percent increase and                                                                                                       materials and suggestions for water-related
                 gained a better understanding of the services                              To the Water and Sewer Authority (WSA) in                                  experiments and activities. WSA's school pro-
                 provided by the wastewater treatment plant. This                           Douglasville-Douglas County, Georgia, communi-                             grams are mostly funded by employee and board
                 increase has enabled the department to provide                             cating with the public is as necessary as reading                          donations, and in part by the public relations
                 customers with better quality service than they had                        water meters. WSA developed its public education                           budget.
                 before the increase.                                                       program to reverse a wave of negative public                                   The Waterline and WSA's involvement with
                       Rather than rest in success, the city continues                      opinion. Customers echoed disappointment when                              local school children both provide effective ways
                 to publicize the progress of sewer improvements                            a merger of city and county water and sewer                                for the authority to bad a successful, county-wide
                 funded through the rate *increase. Kokomo is                               departments did not bring about expected service                           public education program on a very limited
                 following its own advice: "If you just had a rate                          improvements. Determined to resolve this                                   budget. The success of The Waterline is indicated
                 increase, now is the time to prepare for the next                          community relations issue, the authority vowed to                          by customer questions and comments that flood
                 one."                                                                      remain connected with the community in more                                the authority after each publication. Through both
                                                                                            ways than one.                                                             of its programs, WSA provides the community
                 if you would like to find out more about this                                   Because of its extremely successful public                            with a great deal of information on water issues
                 program, please call or write:                                             education efforts, the authority is now known and                          and on its operations. This resourceful and
                 Tom Fligh, Superintendent                                                  respected within the community, both for its                               imaginative program has markedly improved the
                 Kokomo Wastewater Treatment Plant                                          efficient water   and sewer operations and its                          _@mTuq@rfti@ma q_of WSA and the services it
                 -175ftWestMarkland-Avenue                                                  expertise on water resource issues. The rapport                            provides.
                 Kokomo, Indiana 46901                                                      WSA has established with its customers has                                 if you would like to find out more about this
                 317457-5509                                                                required few financial resources, and has been                             program, please call or write:
                                                                                            valuable in gaining public support for the                                 Terry Cole, Executive Assistant
                                                                                            authority's operations.                                                    Douglasville-Douglas County Water
                                                                                                 The authority began its public education                              and Sewer Authority
                                                                                            efforts in 1986 with the development of its award-                         P.O. Box 1157
                                                                                            winning Waterline Newsletter The Waterline was                             Douglasville, Georgia 30133
                                                                                            originally created to familiarize customers with                           404949-7617
                                                                                            WSA operations and to provide information on
                                                                                            popular water-related concerns. Originally issued
                                                                                            as an economical bill insert, it now includes
                                                                                            consumer tips, articles on water conservation, and
                                                                                            spotlights on employees. The newsletter is funded                          In Philadelphia,
                                                                                            by the authority's public relations budget and                             Pennsylvania, Hydrants care
                                                                                            averages about $9,000 a year. Its design, writing
                                                                                            and photography are done in-house, and printing                            for Fires, Not for Fun
                                                                                            is provided by an outside vendor.                                          Pbiladelpbia, Pennsylvania
                                                                                                  The authority also participates in Partners in                       Pbiladelpbia Water Department (P WD)
                                                                                            Education, a program developed by the local                                Hydrant Campaign
                                                                                            Chamber of Commerce to foster partnerships
                                                                                            between businesses and schools. WSA provides                               C o m m ti n i t y P r o f i I a
                                                                                            school children at an "adopted school" with                                Large city

                                                                                                                                                                       Target Audience:

                                                                                                                                                                       1.7 million residents

                                                                                                                                                                       Program Goals:
                                                                                                                                                                       Reduce illegal hydrant openings to conserve water and prevent
                                                                                                                                                                       accidents


                                                                                                                                                                       R a s u I t s
                                                                                                                                                                       Reduced fflegal hydrant openings, saving 2 biffion gaUons of
                                                                                                                                                                       water and $600,000 over a five-year period


                                                                                                                                                                       The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) has
                                                                                                                                                                       an outstanding solution to the dangerous inner city
                                                                                                                                                                       legacy of using illegally opened fire hydrants for
                                                                                                                                                                       recreation on hot summer days: a large-scale,
                                                                                                                                                                       multi-media public education campaign. Through
                                                                                                                                                                       its campaign, PWD has saved the city an estimated








                             two billion gallons of water and $600,000 in                                                                                                           tion computer software program. A traveling
                             treated water over a five-year period by reducing                          Community-Wide                                                              theater group hired by the city often presents plays
                             the incidence of illegally opened fire hydrants.                                                                                                       about energy and water issues to children in
                                  The misuse of fire hydrants can result in the                         Conservation Takes Hold in                                                  kindergarten through sixth grade.
                             loss of up to 1,000 gallons of treated water per                           Palo Alto, California                                                            To emphasize its conservation message to the
                             minute. Over the course of five summers from                                                                                                           whole community, the department posts signs in
                             1980-1984, illegal hydrant openings wasted a total                         Palo Alto, California                                                       publications; publishes news releases, advertise-
                             of 13 billion gallons of Philadelphia's treated water                      Utilities Department Resource Conservation                                  ments, fact sheets, flyers, posters, signs, and
                             at a cost of $4 million. Open hydrants waste                               Water Management Plan                                                       stickers; and sponsors special water education
                             valuable water resources and cause serious injuries                        Community P r ofile:                                                        events. It also addresses the specific conservation
                             to children playing in the jet stream, impair the                          Metropolitan area community 4S miles south of San Francisco                 issues of each group - residents, small businesses,
                             city's fire-fighting capability, interrupt service,                                                                                                    large businesses, and schools - through targeted
                             increase energy consumption and costs, and                                 Target Audience:                                                            letters and newsletters.
                             damage and destroy hydrants.                                               30,000 residential, commercial, and industrial customers                         To help enforce local water conservation
                                  In 1985,'Phitadelphia experienced its worst                           Program Goals:                                                              ordinances, the city hires summer employees,
                             drought in 20 years. Motivated by the drought                              Reduce water use by 27 percent during water restriction periods             known as the "Gush Busters." The Gush Busters
                             conditions, PWD designed a long-term public                                and raise citizen awareness of conservation                                 travel throughout the city on bicycles or mopeds to
                             education program to help the city conserve water                                                                                                      find ordinance violators - citizens using illegal
                             by abolishing illegal hydrant use. PWD's strategy                          R a s u I t s                                                               practices, such as gutter flooding and sidewalk
                             for communicating with Philadelphia residents has                          32 percent reduction in water use during restricted periods,                washing. The Gush Busters warn residents of
                             three goals:                                                               maintenance of a 1S percent reduction during non-restricted                 outdoor water use restrictions during summer
                             ï¿½    Generate as much unpaid mass-media                                    periods, and increased citizen awareness                                    months, and issue two violation warnings before
                                  attention as possible;                                                                                                                            installing a flow restrictor.
                             ï¿½    Create multiple grass roots contacts among                            The City of Palo Alto Utilities Department's                                     Palo Alto's initial program costs ranged from
                                  youths and adults, and communicate a unified                          Resource Conservation staff knows how to reach                              $5,400 - $17,000 and consisted mainly of distrib-
                                  message in different ways; and                                        the public during a crisis. In 198 8, due to severe                         uting bill inserts. As the drought worsened, Palo
                                                                                                        drought conditions, the San Francisco Water                                 Alto's campaign costs increased to about
                             ï¿½    Enlist adults in efforts to prevent illegal                           District (SFWD) reduced the amount of water it                              $100,000, due to more aggressive advertising and
                                  hydrant use.                                                          supplied to Palo Alto and 29 other communities in                           employing the "Gush Busters" program.
                                  PWD expresses its campaign messages, "Play                            the Bay Area.                                                                    The department's resourceful response to the
                             Smart, Philadelphia;" "Hydrants are for Fires, Not                              This forced Palo Alto to cut its own water                             worsening water crisis, broad community ap-
                             for Fun;" and "When You Mess with Hydrants,                                usage by 27 percent or face monetary penalties. To                          proach, and long-term thinking have helped the
                             You're Messing with Fire," to the city through                             achieve this reduction, Palo Alto has developed an                          city meet its mandatory water use reductions by
                             public service announcements, printed materials,                           aggressive voluntary conservation plan based on                             instilling a deep commitment to water conserva-
                             and media relations events. In one campaign                                widespread public education and "inverted" rates                            tion in the Palo Alto community.
                             directed to youth, the department produced a rap-                          - rates that require large water users to pay more                          If you would like more information on this
                             music video for television, audio public service                           for their water. Through its plan, Palo Alto has                            program, please call or write:
                             announcements with the rap track, and thousands                            reduced its water use by 32 percent during                                  Linda Clerkson, Program Coordinator
                             of flyers with the rap lyrics. In another campaign                         restricted periods, and has maintained a 15 percent                         City of Palo Alto Utilities Department
                             directed to adpItstele,vision and radio public                             conservation level during non-restricted periods.                           Resource Conservation
                             service announcements conveyed a distressing                                    The key to Palo Alto's public education                                P.O. Box 10250
                             message about the fire hazards associated with                             strategy fies in targeting its conservation message to                      Palo Alto, CA 94303
                             the reduced fire-fighting capability from illegal                          specific community groups and repeating the                                 415 329-2656
                             hydrant use.                                                               message in numerous ways. Palo Alto's water
                                  PWD's campaigns also include advertising on                           conservation message reaches residential custom-
                             local transit vehicles, and displaying posters on                          ers, small and large businesses, and schools.
                             PWD trucks. A Hydrant Outreach Team (HOT)                                       The department provides residential users
                             visits camps, playgrounds, and recreation centers                          with water conservation kits with flow- measuring
                             presenting an innovative, oversized story book                             bags to check average shower flow, toilet tank bags
                             starring the "Plug Ughes. "                                                that reduce the amount of water used with each
                                  A key objective of PVID's campaign strategy is                        flush, and tips on ways to conserve water around
                             to provide safe, alternative summer recreation. The                        the house; issues 10-16 water supply updates and
                             city offers sprinklers to neighborhood block                               conservation notices a year; and pursues an active
                             captains to allow for occasional, safe recreational                        print campaign in the local newspaper. Free on-site
                             hydrant use, and distributes catchy pamphlets on                           home water audits are also available.
                             ways to beat the summer heat and have fun in the                                To encourage its smaller commercial custom-
                             city. Every year since 1985, PWD has refined and                           ers to conserve water, Palo Alto has designed an
                             updated its campaign strategy. Program costs                               outreach program that helps businesses integrate
                             average $106,000 per year.                                                 water-saving activities into business processes and
                                  The department's hydrant campaign strategy,                           advocates year-round conservation. The program
                             punctuated by its strong public education mes-                             encourages businesses to take advantage of free                             Acknowledgements:
                             sages, broad distribution of materials, a hydrani                          audit services, use reclaimed water for construction                        The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
                             locking campaign, and the city's swift response to                         and irrigation, and design landscaping that                                 produced this brochure in cooperation with the
                             reported hydrant openings, has been highly                                 requires little water. The program also asks                                DouglasviHe-Douglas County Water and Sewer
                             successful. The 20-fold increase in telephone calls                        businesses to apply small measures, such as serving                         Authority; the Kokomo Wastewater Treatment
                             since 1985 reporting open hydrants reflects                                water only upon request in restaurants, and using                           Plant; the City of Palo Alto Utilities, Water, and
                             changing attitudes and awareness about illegal                             brooms rather than hoses for sidewalk cleaning.                             Energy Services Department, the Philadelphia
                             hydrant use. The campaign's success is best                                     Palo Alto has created a special program to                             Water Department; and the Wellesley Department
                             marked by the two billion gallons of water                                 assist the conservation efforts of its largest business                     of Public Works. EPA would like to thank these
                             conserved and a net savings of $600,000 by PWD                             customers. This program provides companies with                             wa
                             over the past five years.                                                  personalized attention from a department liaison                               ter utilities for providing leadership in solving
                                                                                                                                                                                    water and wastewater management challenges,
                             If you would like more information about this                              who helps develop conservation plans specific to                            and encourages State and local officials to work
                             program, please call or write:                                             each business. The department also sponsors                                 together to improve water resource management.
                             Maureen Sullivan, Public Education Officer                                 workshops on conservation.                                                  This brochure is in the public domain and cannot
                             Philadelphia Water Department                                                   Palo Alto reaches school children by conduct-                          be copyrighted. Anyone may reproduce this
                             ARA Tower 1101 Market Street, 3rdFloor                                     ing 10 to 30 water education presentations a year                           brochure without the permission of EPA.
                             Philadelphia, PA 19107-2994                                                for youth in kindergarten through twelfth grade.
                             215 592-6144                                                               They also make available to teachers a curriculum
                                                                                                        lending library, and an energy and water conserva-