Water Online the Magazine gives Water & Wastewater Engineers and end-users a venue to find project solutions and source valuable product information. We aim to educate the engineering and operations community on important issues and trends.
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Tutorial wateronline.com ■ Water Online The Magazine 18 D espite stringent regulation of public water supplies, many consumers are still concerned about the quality of their tap water. Topics of concern include health effects of treatment chemicals, natural and synthetic contaminants, as well as temporary changes in water quality due to repairs and routine maintenance of the distribution system. Recent widespread publications of chemical spills and bacterial contamination of public water supplies have caused consumers to be more wary of tap water. Bottled water, through mass million- dollar marketing campaigns, is perceived as an increasingly appealing alternative. On top of that, there is a lack of communication and information on the part of utilities and an overload of negative information or misinformation regarding tap water. The good news is that the majority of utilities already have the resources and tools needed to reach out and educate consumers about the water that they produce. With the right approach, utilities hold the power to positively change their consumers' perception of tap water. It is a widely known fact that water utilities are facing challenging times in terms of budget constraints and manpower reduction. They are also simultaneously managing pressing problems such as aging infrastructure, increased compliance monitoring, and expanding regulations. As a result, the importance and quality of the services provided and the finished product delivered to the consumer have unintentionally taken a backseat. It is important to remember that the consumer pays for the services and the product. This is where revenue comes from. Not paying enough attention to consumers' needs and concerns will potentially push more of them away from using tap water and cut revenues even further. Most water professionals are not only confident in the tap water that they help produce, but also agree that tap water is in many respects safer to drink than bottled water. Why is it then that many consumers do not share this perception? Why are studies still showing a lack of confidence in municipal water on the part of the consumer? Consumer confidence in tap water is lacking because most information reaching consumers about tap water is coming from sources other than the water utility. Usually the information comes from traditional media outlets and is focused on dramatic or shocking topics like "water contamination" or "dangers of fluoridation." Unbiased and factual information from authoritative and verifiable sources, although widely available, is not reaching enough consumers. Provide Authoritative Information So, what can water utilities do to better educate their consumers about tap water and increase confidence in the process? Many consumers are unaware of what exactly it is that water utilities do. To fix this, water utilities must be completely transparent and make an effort to provide authoritative information The Waukegan (IL) Water Treatment Plant has tapped into consumer outreach. How To Raise Consumer Confidence In Your Water Utilities already have the resources to deliver the key ingredient: education. By Julia Adamiak 1 8 _ V E R T _ 0 5 1 4 C l e a n w a t e r _ W a u k e g a n _ D G . i n d d 1 18_VERT_0514 Cleanwater_Waukegan_DG.indd 1 4 / 2 1 / 2 0 1 4 3 : 0 2 : 1 9 P M 4/21/2014 3:02:19 PM