CONSUMER OUTREACH RESOURCES

• When Almost Perfect Isn’t Good Enough

  Despite statistically astounding performance, water and wastewater utilities have almost no room for error due to the nature of public perception and the importance of their work.

• EPA Researchers Showcase Research Capabilities To Local And National Media

  EPA researcher recently hosted members of local and national media on a tour of our unique research complex located in Cincinnati, OH, where they discussed several topics including PFAS in drinking water, lead service lines, and legionella in premise plumbing.

• World Water Day 2023: How The Water Industry Can “Accelerate Change”

  Globally, we are on a tight schedule to get our planet moving in the right direction regarding the climate crisis. While the COP (Conference of the Parties) meetings are working to collaborate and design a plan to contain the threats at hand, we still lack major negotiating deadlines. With World Water Day 2023 coming up on March 22 with the theme of “Accelerating Change”, the day urges individuals to recognize how they consume and manage water in their lives and make necessary changes to help utilize it better.

• Two Water Movies: The Harmful And The Hopeful

  Adam Tank and I just had Travis Loop as a guest on our podcast Water We Talking About, and he gave us an update on his initiative to do in-depth reporting on the PFAS issue. And our next guest is Aoife Kelleher, associate producer and lead researcher for the water documentary Brave Blue World. So I thought it would be a good time to repost my review on two very different water movies, Dark Waters and Brave Blue World.

• Customer Engagement And Water Infrastructure Projects: How To Achieve Success

  Communication between a utility and its customers has historically been sparse and negative — complaints on one side, bills and notices on the other — but healthy communication is now encouraged as a key aspect of successful infrastructure development.
• Digital Storytelling Can Be A Powerful Tool For Water Researchers

  Storytelling and science may, at first glance, seem like strange bedfellows. Scientists usually share their research through academic journals and books or at academic conferences. But storytelling is a powerful way to share scientific research with non-expert audiences. Today, stories can be built digitally: photos, videos and audio clips create visually, emotionally effective stories that are relatable and easily understood.
• Who Sees What You Flush? Wastewater Surveillance For Public Health Is On The Rise, But A New Survey Reveals Many U.S. Adults Are Still Unaware

  Flush and forget? Not if you have a toilet that flushes to one of over 3,000 sites around the world where researchers are using wastewater to track SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. But what do members of the public actually know about wastewater surveillance? And what do they think about researchers tracking what they send down the drain at their home?

• All For One And One For All — For Water's Sake

  Societal well-being is hugely dependent on a clean and available water supply, which is becoming increasingly dependent on community engagement and education.

• End Users Demanding Electronic Bottle Fillers In Drinking Fountains

  A new analysis by Verify Markets on the North American Water Dispensing Solutions/Drinking Fountains Market shows the market was valued at $269.5 million USD in 2021 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 5.0% from 2021 to 2028. The market includes both indoor and outdoor drinking fountains; indoor applications made up most of the drinking fountain sales revenues in 2021.

• Misconceptions About U.S. Water Infrastructure

  The U.S. has more 148,000 drinking water systems which distribute 39 billion gallons of potable water to homes and businesses nationwide. For those who work in the drinking water and wastewater treatment industry, the size, scope, and challenges to the country’s water infrastructure are well known.