AWWA ACE95205

To some degree almost all areas of the country have experienced water shortages due to droughts, inadequate development of existing water supplies, or both. The American Water Works Association (AWWA) estimates that by the year 2000 more than 20% of the country will occasionally have serious water supply shortages. Once considered limitless, water is now regarded as a precious resource, the abundance or scarcity of which can change quickly. Most of the country relies on available surface water sources, nearly all of which have been developed. Because these sources are weather dependent, changes in rainfall can cause serious water shortage within a few months. These sudden shortages call for emergency measures and crisis management by water departments. This paper describes the regional public participation program in Hampton Roads, Virginia. Four cities, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach, formed the Southside Water Efficiency Team (SS WET). SS WET's mission was to develop and implement a regional water efficiency public information campaign for that audience base of 900,000 people. The SS WET public education program was designed to supplement, not replace, the conservation programs in each city. The SS WET program presented a cost-effective method to public education through the implementation of 16 advertisements and a 12-month campaign. The City of Norfolk conducted a survey to determine the public's awareness of the SS WET program and concluded that the level of public awareness is acceptable for the first year of the group's existence. This program demonstrated that a regional approach to public information is effective in reducing each city's capital expenditure while expanding its audience base.

Product Details

Published:

01/01/1995

ISBN(s):

0898678315

Number of Pages:

8

File Size:

1 file , 300 KB