18990_Authority_Feb_2026

50 The Authority │ February you need to do” box at the top, and publish an FAQ page within 48 hours 8 . • If project page time-on-page is low → your content is too dense or not answering the real question. Add headings and a short summary up top 8 . • If rumors trend on social → publish a correction on the web page first, then distribute with a consistent link everywhere (one source of truth) 4 . 3C. Plan growth: expand channels only after you can sustain the baseline Growth is reliable, multi-channel reach with consistent messaging. More doesn’t mean better if you can’t keep up with your base outlet(s). What growth can look like: • Get the website + bill insert cadence working first. • Add one social channel only when you can maintain it without long gaps in content. • Then run multi-channel campaigns for major events (rate actions, disruptive capital projects, service line replacement programs). Municipal authorities don’t get credit for what customers don’t see; remaining a silent service creates a vacuum that leaves you vulnerable. The good news is you can fix it by creating a system. Assign clear ownership, choose a single home base for accurate information, commit to a realistic cadence, and write in plain language that answers the questions people are asking. Then measure what happens: fewer repeat calls, fewer rumor-driven flare-ups, more constructive public meetings, and smoother project delivery when you’re asking the community to live with disruption or pay more for reinvestment. As in any relationship, trust is something to be maintained. Start building it in peacetime, while things are going right, because the next time something goes wrong (and in infrastructure, something always does), you’ll already have what you need most: a community that recognizes your voice, believes your facts, and is willing to work with you instead of against you. S References 1. American Water Works Association (AWWA), “U.S. survey gauges public perceptions of tap water” (AWWA Articles), August 7, 2024, https://www.awwa.org/AWWA-Articles/u-s- survey-gauges-public-perceptions-of-tap-water/ (accessed December 9, 2025). 2. J.D. Power, “2024 U.S. Water Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Study” (press release), May 2, 2024, https://www.jdpower.com/ business/press-releases/2024-us-water- utility-residential-customer-satisfaction-study (accessed December 16, 2025). 3. J.D. Power, “Water Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction Drops as Prices Fluctuate, J.D. Power Finds” (press release), May 7, 2025, https://www.jdpower.com/ business/press-releases/2025-us-water- utility-residential-customer-satisfaction-study (accessed December 16, 2025). 4. José Aranda, “The Flow of Trust: Launching the Water Utility-Community Communications Guide,” The Water Hub, December 15, 2025 (accessed December 15, 2025). 5. Kate Green Tripp, Khalid K. Osman, and Greg Pierce, “What Would It Take to Make Tap Water Trustworthy?” Stanford Impact Labs (transcript), April 25, 2024, https:// impact.stanford.edu/article/what-would-it- take-make-tap-water-trustworthy (accessed December 9, 2025). 6. American Water Works Association (AWWA), “Public Involvement and Customer Communication” (policy statement; revised January 2018), https://www.awwa.org/policy- statement/public-involvement-and-customer- communication/ (accessed December 16, 2025). 7. American Water Works Association (AWWA), Manual M19 excerpt “Emergency Planning for Water and Wastewater Utilities” (sample PDF; communication/PIO guidance), https://www.normsplash.com/Samples/ AWWA/166472397/AWWA-M19-18-en-2.pdf (accessed December 16, 2025). 8. Digital.gov, “Writing for understanding” (plain language guidance), https://digital.gov/ guides/plain-language/writing/ (accessed December 16, 2025).