Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority Recycled Water Public Outreach Program

The Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (VVWRA) is a regional wastewater collection and treatment authority that serves the Southern California desert area including the cities of Apple Valley, Hesperia, Victorville, Spring Valley Lake, Oro Grande, and the Southern California Logistics Airport (formerly George Air Force Base).

The Victor Valley area is experiencing explosive population growth and significant increases in commercial and industrial business, placing an even greater demand on the local water supply. The City of Victorville, which accounts for nearly 70 percent of the wastewater that flows into the regional wastewater treatment plant, is listed as one of California’s top ten fastest growing cities.

VVWRA’s response to these sobering supply trends has been to embark on a major water recycling program that includes siting and construction of two sub-regional treatment facilities, miles of pipeline, pump stations and storage facilities. With strategic guidance from TRG, the program has been moving forward through the design and environmental review phases over the past year and a half and helped plan and implement VVWRA's school education outreach program.

VVWRA has been recognized by the California Water Environment Association and the WateReuse Association.

Cucamonga Valley Water District
Recycled Water Public Outreach

The Cucamonga Valley Water District includes the city of Rancho Cucamonga, portions of Upland, Ontario and Fontana, as well as some unincorporated areas on San Bernardino County in southern California. The district is planning for the construction of two new recycled water treatment facilities for this fast-growing area, and  TRG has developed a Strategic Outreach Plan and to implement public outreach and customer marketing.

Public outreach is an essential element for any water district, but especially with new recycled water projects. The public outreach campaign that TRG has proposed envisages broad community education to secure citizen support for construction of the new plants, as well as effective marketing of the recycled water product to potential customers. TRG has also produced CVWD's quarterly newsletters.

Contra Costa County Solid Waste Authority
School Recycling Program

Drawing upon extensive environmental and recycling experience, TRG has developed a comprehensive school recycling program for the Central Contra Costa Solid Waste Authority and the 42 schools within the district.

TRG is responsible for conducting waste audits, designing collection programs, tracking materials and costs, and evaluating vendors and markets. The success of each program has centered on education of the staff, students and school district employees. Each school is provided with resources for teachers, signage for every classroom and recycling bins, as well as offered educational school assemblies and assistance with other school-related activities. TRG staff is also responsible for development of the “4R’s” newsletter for teachers that is distributed to every school and teacher within the service area on a quarterly basis.

TRG has continued to expand the reach and effectiveness of district recycling by adding the “Wastebusters” school certification program. This approach recognizes and rewards schools for exemplary recycling programs. In this way, schools compete to reduce the amount of waste destined for landfills, while they teach important environmental principles to students. The schools’ volume of solid waste has decreased and recycling volumes have increased dramatically over the past six years that TRG has been working with the Authority.

City of Corona
Recycled Water and Groundwater Recharge Public Outreach

From an economic perspective, Corona, California is a city of limitless potential. Located within commuting distance of Los Angeles and vibrant Orange County, Corona continues to draw new residents and businesses. But as with many such growth centers of the West, Corona is situated in an arid region where existing water supply cannot accommodate greater demand.

Faced with tremendous water supply challenges, Corona has chosen to embrace bold, far-sighted solutions, including significant expansion of recycled water usage and groundwater recharge to keep the underground aquifer at a healthy, sustainable level.

TRG has worked closely with Corona since 1999 on a public outreach campaign that is seen as a model for similar communities. In 2003 the California Water Environment Association honored the City with awards at both the local and statewide level for this winning public outreach program.

Monterey Regional Wastewater Pollution Control Agency
Recycled Water Public Outreach

TRG has been working with the Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency to develop a Strategic Outreach Plan and implement outreach strategies. The agency has long been a pioneer in agricultural reuse, and in fact operates the world’s largest water recycling facility designed for raw food crop irrigation. Now the agency is planning for an urban water recycling program and investigating the feasibility of a groundwater recharge project.

Groundwater replenishment is becoming a hot topic in the world of water reuse, and TRG has refined an effective overarching approach to bringing the public along as willing, involved partners. As population numbers continue to surge in California, and long-term weather patterns are unlikely to bring significant new precipitation to the region, more and more communities will be exploring the benefits of groundwater recharge technology – and seeking advice on how to win support for recharge from local residents.

Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department

TRG has been working with one of California’s largest parks and recreation departments for the past two years, promoting its 28 parks and the myriad of trails, recreational facilities, events, workshops and classes offered within Santa Clara County. TRG is responsible for strategic planning, website design, digital marketing, media relations and the promotion of special events including the Fantasy of Lights holiday display.

Eastern Municipal Water District

EMWD, like many water agencies in Southern California, is faced with a growing population and a limited water supply. TRG is working with Eastern to develop a Water Conservation Plan and proactive strategies to encourage the active participation of its residential, agricultural and commercial customers.

In support of EMWD’s ambitious conservation goals, TRG is helping the agency develop programs and services to customers’ needs and to motivate change in their water use habits.

Because current supply-demand trends are not sustainable, the Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency (BBARWA) launched an ambitious groundwater recharge program to provide dramatic increases in the production of recycled water and the region's water supply.

To help explain these high-tech solutions, and to bring stakeholders along in the process as enthusiastic partners, BBARWA turned to TRG for public outreach. Through advertisements in magazines, newspapers and on the radio, newsletters, fact sheets, a new Web site, presentations, a supportive Citizens Advisory Committee, and many other elements, TRG helped keep the program on track. BBARWA has won top accolades for its public outreach program from the WateReuse Association, California Association of Sanitation Agencies and the California Water Environment Association.

Department of Water, City of Big Bear Lake
Water Conservation Advertising Campaign

BBARWA’s sister agency in the Big Bear Valley enthusiastically supports the proposed groundwater recharge program and increases in recycled water production, but is focused on demand as much as supply. 

TRG public outreach for the department has emphasized conservation. The tag line, “Water efficiency makes a world of difference,” illustrates the concept that each individual can make an immense difference in the region, state and world by wise use of water. Newspaper advertising has focused on real people within the community who are practicing water efficiency in their homes, businesses, schools and parks. Each resident profiled becomes a minor celebrity in Big Bear -- and an enthusiastic role model.

WateReuse Foundation
Marketing Nonpotable Recycled Water Guidebook

Successful water reuse campaigns share fundamental themes. The WateReuse Foundation selected TRG to examine the public outreach themes of success common to recycled water projects in California, Florida, Texas and Nevada. The lessons learned are the core of a new WateReuse guidebook that can be used by other agencies embarking on a recycled water program. By closely examining the case studies, agencies can learn how broad principles of outreach apply in very specific, very practical ways.

The guidebook includes results of a general public focus group and survey, a customer focus group, templates of “tools of communication” materials and a template of a strategic outreach plan. Data from the survey and focus group are relevant to other agencies because the finding reveal the fears, concerns and lack of knowledge that can sink a recycled water program if issues are not squarely addressed.

Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program
Watershed Watch Campaign

The Watershed Watch campaign was created to educate the public about the importance of watersheds and how to protect them. The campaign, funded by the Santa Clara Valley Urban Runoff Pollution Prevention Program, has raised awareness of the dangers to local creeks, watersheds and the San Francisco Bay by teaching principles of environmental stewardship in fun and practical ways. It has accomplished this goal via a popular Web site, brochures, print and radio advertising, newsletters, contests and school education programs, all created and implemented by TRG.

A remarkable component of Watershed Watch has been creation of a wide range of TRG-led public/private partnerships that have added hundreds of thousands of dollars in free resources to the outreach program. Through the partnership program, a great storm of community organizations, businesses and groups magnify the essential message of environmental stewardship. In the past five years, TRG has amassed nearly $1.3 million in value-added resources to the campaign. The Watershed Watch campaign was recognized for its public outreach campaign by the Friends of the Estuary.

City of Glendale Water and Power
Construction Outreach

The importance of initiating public outreach before the start of any public works project is illustrated by one of TRG’s clients, City of Glendale Water and Power. The city has a well-deserved reputation for informing residents and soliciting input whenever disruptions are likely to occur as a result of construction or demolition.

In the latest case, the city is planning to demolish a reservoir that has been situated under a golf course for more than half a century and replace it with a new one. The reservoir has suffered from damaged by earthquakes and natural deterioration over the years. TRG coordinated two neighborhood meetings on the issue so far, and a third focusing on an Environmental Impact Report will be held shortly. Homeowners, golfers and those affected by traffic disruptions have all been notified, and many have voiced their opinions about where the new reservoir should be built.

Notifying residents and businesses well before selection of alternative sites, the environmental impact process and construction helps to build trust, lets people know that their comments and opinions are valued and provides staff and consultants with more confidence that a new project has “buy-in” from the community.

East Bay Municipal Utility District
Recycled Water Customer Education

TRG has worked closely with the East Bay Municipal Utility District, which includes the city of Oakland, California, to produce two recycled water training videos and a customer manual. The materials help customers and landscape workers understand the benefits, precautions and technical applications involved in the use of recycled water on golf courses, parks, industrial property, and in many other areas.