Publisher's Synopsis
Drinking water utilities must address increases in demand on water resources, regulatory pressures, security measures, and customer demands. A key to successfully managing these issues is a strong communication effort. A key to a strong communication effort is a strategic communication plan that supports the business goals of the organization. This project provides drinking water utilities with research-based information and industry-tested tools to guide them in developing a strategic communication plan. Previous AwwaRF research showed that a more informed public is more likely to support the needs of their local water utility. Many of the nation's water utilities are unable to achieve the levels of support they need because they lack the communication ability to fully inform their public and build necessary support. The findings derived from the discovery process identified organizational needs, structures, and barriers that combined to create strong or poor foundations for strategic communication planning.
