Consumer Outreach Features, Insights, and Analysis

1. Pressing The Public: "Would You Drink Recycled Water?" 2/27/2024
   Though treatment processes can guarantee that water has been completely purified — to the point where it is just as safe as regular tap water — people still feel it could cause them harm. We have to remember, however, that people's beliefs can change.
2. I Grew Up During A Drought — Here's What It Taught Me About 'Nudging' Sustainability Behaviors 1/31/2024

   Can we use tried-and-tested approaches to capture people’s attention and change their conservation behaviors?

3. The Key To Restoring Customer Trust After A Data Breach 1/10/2024
   Public confidence can be hard to win back, emphasizing the need for secure systems as utilities grow more reliant on digital technologies.
4. Early, Often, And Honest: A Guide To Communicating About Lead 12/28/2023

   The Biden Administration’s proposed Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) won’t be finalized until late 2024, yet it is already causing a stir among water utilities. Among the many changes and additions, the LCRI as it stood at the start of the comment period will lower the action level to 10 ppb for lead and will mandate that all lead service lines (LSLs) be located and replaced within 10 years. The expectation is that many thousands of water utilities are going to find themselves pressured to take action or step up existing actions.

5. How EPA Researchers Are Using Social Science To Study Water Quality 8/22/2023

   Coasts and estuaries are highly valued and provide important resources for communities. These environments provide ecosystem services including food, recreational space, protection from storms, and more. In New England, coastal water quality is particularly important for local communities and economies, with beaches and aquatic environments drawing in millions of visitors each year.

6. TAP Dance: Lessons From 6 Years Of Income-Based Water Assistance In Philadelphia 8/10/2023

   Six years ago, to great fanfare, Philadelphia Water launched a new approach to bill assistance for low-income water and sewer customers: the Tiered Assistance Program (TAP). Casually dubbed "income-based rates," TAP held out the promise of achieving true "affordability" by whatever standard policymakers set. Philadelphia TAP has garnered widespread media attention and has received tacit endorsements from some academic researchers and institutions. With more than five full years in the rear-view mirror, it's time to ask: how well has Philadelphia TAP worked?

7. As Americans Focus On Water Quality, These States Boast The Best 6/30/2023
   To determine which states have the best tap water, J.D. Power analyzed feedback from customers of water utilities regarding their experiences in six factors: quality and reliability; price; conservation; billing and payment; communications; and customer service.
8. When Almost Perfect Isn’t Good Enough 5/4/2023

   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.

9. EPA Researchers Showcase Research Capabilities To Local And National Media 4/12/2023

   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.

10. World Water Day 2023: How The Water Industry Can “Accelerate Change” 3/13/2023

    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.