Targeted Local Outreach ProgramsHelp Water Providers Meet Allocation Goals

We are at a water conservation tipping point. Conservation awareness is at an all-time high, and so are the penalties for exceeding your allocation. Customers are beginning to conserve more, but they need one final nudge if you are to reach your allocation conservation target – a nudge that can only come from you. Laer Pearce & Associates can help.

Allocation goals and watering restrictions vary across the region, so it’s no wonder customers are confused by mixed messages. Most are ready to act, but they need clear messages – powerful messages – from the source of information on water they trust most: their water provider.

Local providers are the ones that will be penalized if local customers don’t conserve, so shouldn’t local providers play the most active role in changing their customers’ behavior?

LP&A Can Help! Most local water providers’ communication programs weren’t built for challenges as great as allocation, where missing the target can be very, very costly. Laer Pearce & Associates has the expertise and experience to focus your outreach on your allocation target. We’ve been changing customer water-use behavior for years, and we can help you avoid or lessen the risk of financial penalties for going over your allocation. Let’s talk today!

What Others Are Saying About Laer Pearce & Associates

www.laer.com

The LP&A Toolbox

Strategic communications support Community outreach programs Strategic messaging Collateral and Web site development Media relations Crisis management Public affairs for infrastructure projects Special events Brand development

The Right Team for the Job

Laer Pearce & Associates is one of California’s premier public affairs firms, specializing in regulatory issues and community outreach for the water and land development industries. Few firms are better qualified to communicate the West’s complex water issues and the need to conserve, or to build support for new infrastructure projects. That’s because we live and breathe this stuff. We’re focused on the issues that affect the water community most, and we have a proven track record of success.

Changing customer behavior isn’t easy, but we’ve been doing it for more than 15 years. We know your issues. We understand your challenges. We’re uniquely qualified to help you achieve your goals.

Specialized Expertise for the Water Industry

See what we can do for you

“We appreciate your sage counsel and perspective. We appreciate the help from you and your team. You folks do a great job for the SMWD ratepayers.”– John Schatz, Santa Margarita Water District

“I’ve been a customer since 2003 and I would like to comment on how much I enjoy reading your Pipeline newsletter. I find it very interesting and just the right size. Keep up the good work.”– Steve Morrison, Cucamonga Valley Water District customer

“Laer Pearce is one of the best PR guys in the Golden State.”– Hugh Hewitt, nationally syndicated radio host, author and blogger

Our Strategic Communications Programs Help Water Districts:

Who We’ve Worked For

See inside for success stories of how we’ve helped water districts achieve their public communications objectives.

Improve customer outreach and industry positioning Shape public opinion and behavior in support of conservation Generate support for new infrastructure projects Minimize negative exposure in crisis situations

Cucamonga ValleyWater District

Jurupa Community Services District Los Alisos Water District

Metropolitan Water District ofSouthern California

Moulton Niguel Water District

Newhall County Water District

Santa Margarita Water District

South Orange CountyWastewater Authority

Yorba Linda Water District

West Basin MunicipalWater District

Mesa Consolidated Water District

Inland Empire Utilities Agency

Irvine Ranch Water District

Communicating ConservationSanta Margarita Water District

Re-Branding andStrategic Positioning

Cucamonga Valley Water District

Infrastructure SupportMetropolitan Water District of

Southern California

Averting a CrisisJurupa Community Services District

A Large Agency Needs a Big VoiceSanta Margarita Water District shoulders the responsibility of providing water services to more than 155,000 residents in south Orange County. With rapid regional development and limited local supplies, the agency faces the challenging task of educating the community about conservation, keeping customers routinely informed and updating them about water-wise practices.

Raising the Bar Among Key AudiencesLP&A’s multi-year, comprehensive campaign keeps all customers, media, and relevant decision makers and influentials educated about pertinent water issues. Utilizing a new, user-friendly Web site, monthly news-

letters, strategic media relations, event planning, customer workshops, school programs, annual reports and other programs, our team ensures that consistent and timely news about all things water is disseminated. From details about fluoridation and tips on how to reduce runoff to emergency notices about regional supply disruptions, our outreach covers it all.

Recognition as an Industry LeaderWith our help, SMWD improved awareness of its programs, increased local conservation efforts and has become more recognized as a well-managed agency. Our team successfully placed dozens of conservation columns in the local paper, numerous op-eds from the board of directors, and has helped educate customers about California’s water future. Indeed, 88 percent of the District’s customers now say they are satisfied with SMWD’s overall job performance.

Cucamonga County?You won’t find a Cucamonga County on the map. That’s why the Cucamonga County Water District called upon LP&A to help launch its new identity as the Cucamonga Valley Water District. We were tasked with creating a buzz surrounding the name change that would serve as a platform tocommunicate the District’s operations and ensure a smooth transition for its customers.

From County to ValleyThrough a re-branding campaign we called “From County to Valley,” LP&A developed key messages that positioned CVWD as a regional leader with a proud past, and prepared a tagline – Proud Past, Bright Future – and fresh new look for all of its materials. We worked with the local press to garner human interest and hard news stories, and customers and vendors were notified through a series of bill stuffers and post cards, ensuring the business of the District remained on track. To top it off, we organized a name change ceremony with local dignitaries and water industry officials, where the old CCWD flag was lowered and replaced with one bearing the new name and logo. New Image Better Positions DistrictWord of the name change quickly spread through media coverage and CVWD’s customer outreach. More importantly, the name change provided an opportunity to showcase the District’s operations and its status as an industry leader. Following the name change, CVWD recruited LP&A to redesign and produce its quarterly customer newsletter, with the first issue dedicated to the District’s proud past, bright future and new image.

Laer Pearce & Associates Water Industry Success Stories

A Hotly Contested Pipeline ProjectThe Central Pool Augmentation and Water Quality Project (CPA Project) envisioned a new treatment plant in Riverside County and an 11-mile tunnel and pipeline under Saddleback Mountain to Orange County. The

project would mean long periods of construction in rural areas accustomed to quiet. The Met Board and staff felt an obligation to go beyond the mere requirements of CEQA and implement a broader, more comprehensive outreach

program to explain the need for the project, its impacts, and its mitigations.

Clearly Communicating the FactsThe project EIR was nearly 500 pages long, outlining all the impacts the project would have on the community and the environment. We created a brochure that was a one-stop project summary, distributed it early and widely to key publics, and coordinated an extensive series of community meetings in both Riverside and Orange counties.

Outreach Eliminates Opposition, Ensures ApprovalWorking with Met staff, we produced communication tools including a brochure and technical smmary, which were mailed to more than 500 people wanting to comment on the EIR. We also distributed the brochure at all our community meetings. As a result of our outreach, a community suggestion for an alternative routing became the proposed project, resulting in the elimination of most community opposition. The Metropolitan board of directors certified the CPA Project EIR.

High Nitrates Threaten CustomersIt was a perfect storm when a series of planned mainte-nance shutdowns aligned with an unexpected treatment plant failure, leaving the Jurupa Community Services District with one well that exceeded limits for nitrates. The media sensationalized the story, saying the water could cause sickness and even death if babies or the elderly consumed it. JCSD immediately warned its customers of the risk, but it would take several weeks before the treatment facilities were up and running, so JCSD contacted LP&A to help communicate with its customers both during and after the shutdown.

Quickly Spreading the WordLP&A immediately worked with district officials to become familiar with operational and regulatory issues, then prepared messages that clearly communicated the true situation and actual risks, positioning the event as a mechanical failure not attributable to poor planning or maintenance failures. We worked personally with the media to communicate these messages and ensure accurate, balanced coverage. A series of mailings were sent to all customers detailing the situation, and daily updates were posted to the JCSD Web site. We also helped coordinate and publicize bottled water stations where those at risk could pick up clean drinking water.

Customers and District ProtectedThe tone of media coverage changed following initiation of our messaging program. JCSD brought the treatment plant back online within a week, and no customers fell ill from drinking the water. Following the incident, we worked with JCSD to implement an ongoing customer communications program.

Saddleback Mountain

Communicating ConservationSanta Margarita Water District

Re-Branding andStrategic Positioning

Cucamonga Valley Water District

Infrastructure SupportMetropolitan Water District of

Southern California

Averting a CrisisJurupa Community Services District

A Large Agency Needs a Big VoiceSanta Margarita Water District shoulders the responsibility of providing water services to more than 155,000 residents in south Orange County. With rapid regional development and limited local supplies, the agency faces the challenging task of educating the community about conservation, keeping customers routinely informed and updating them about water-wise practices.

Raising the Bar Among Key AudiencesLP&A’s multi-year, comprehensive campaign keeps all customers, media, and relevant decision makers and influentials educated about pertinent water issues. Utilizing a new, user-friendly Web site, monthly news-

letters, strategic media relations, event planning, customer workshops, school programs, annual reports and other programs, our team ensures that consistent and timely news about all things water is disseminated. From details about fluoridation and tips on how to reduce runoff to emergency notices about regional supply disruptions, our outreach covers it all.

Recognition as an Industry LeaderWith our help, SMWD improved awareness of its programs, increased local conservation efforts and has become more recognized as a well-managed agency. Our team successfully placed dozens of conservation columns in the local paper, numerous op-eds from the board of directors, and has helped educate customers about California’s water future. Indeed, 88 percent of the District’s customers now say they are satisfied with SMWD’s overall job performance.

Cucamonga County?You won’t find a Cucamonga County on the map. That’s why the Cucamonga County Water District called upon LP&A to help launch its new identity as the Cucamonga Valley Water District. We were tasked with creating a buzz surrounding the name change that would serve as a platform tocommunicate the District’s operations and ensure a smooth transition for its customers.

From County to ValleyThrough a re-branding campaign we called “From County to Valley,” LP&A developed key messages that positioned CVWD as a regional leader with a proud past, and prepared a tagline – Proud Past, Bright Future – and fresh new look for all of its materials. We worked with the local press to garner human interest and hard news stories, and customers and vendors were notified through a series of bill stuffers and post cards, ensuring the business of the District remained on track. To top it off, we organized a name change ceremony with local dignitaries and water industry officials, where the old CCWD flag was lowered and replaced with one bearing the new name and logo. New Image Better Positions DistrictWord of the name change quickly spread through media coverage and CVWD’s customer outreach. More importantly, the name change provided an opportunity to showcase the District’s operations and its status as an industry leader. Following the name change, CVWD recruited LP&A to redesign and produce its quarterly customer newsletter, with the first issue dedicated to the District’s proud past, bright future and new image.

Laer Pearce & Associates Water Industry Success Stories

A Hotly Contested Pipeline ProjectThe Central Pool Augmentation and Water Quality Project (CPA Project) envisioned a new treatment plant in Riverside County and an 11-mile tunnel and pipeline under Saddleback Mountain to Orange County. The

project would mean long periods of construction in rural areas accustomed to quiet. The Met Board and staff felt an obligation to go beyond the mere requirements of CEQA and implement a broader, more comprehensive outreach

program to explain the need for the project, its impacts, and its mitigations.

Clearly Communicating the FactsThe project EIR was nearly 500 pages long, outlining all the impacts the project would have on the community and the environment. We created a brochure that was a one-stop project summary, distributed it early and widely to key publics, and coordinated an extensive series of community meetings in both Riverside and Orange counties.

Outreach Eliminates Opposition, Ensures ApprovalWorking with Met staff, we produced communication tools including a brochure and technical smmary, which were mailed to more than 500 people wanting to comment on the EIR. We also distributed the brochure at all our community meetings. As a result of our outreach, a community suggestion for an alternative routing became the proposed project, resulting in the elimination of most community opposition. The Metropolitan board of directors certified the CPA Project EIR.

High Nitrates Threaten CustomersIt was a perfect storm when a series of planned mainte-nance shutdowns aligned with an unexpected treatment plant failure, leaving the Jurupa Community Services District with one well that exceeded limits for nitrates. The media sensationalized the story, saying the water could cause sickness and even death if babies or the elderly consumed it. JCSD immediately warned its customers of the risk, but it would take several weeks before the treatment facilities were up and running, so JCSD contacted LP&A to help communicate with its customers both during and after the shutdown.

Quickly Spreading the WordLP&A immediately worked with district officials to become familiar with operational and regulatory issues, then prepared messages that clearly communicated the true situation and actual risks, positioning the event as a mechanical failure not attributable to poor planning or maintenance failures. We worked personally with the media to communicate these messages and ensure accurate, balanced coverage. A series of mailings were sent to all customers detailing the situation, and daily updates were posted to the JCSD Web site. We also helped coordinate and publicize bottled water stations where those at risk could pick up clean drinking water.

Customers and District ProtectedThe tone of media coverage changed following initiation of our messaging program. JCSD brought the treatment plant back online within a week, and no customers fell ill from drinking the water. Following the incident, we worked with JCSD to implement an ongoing customer communications program.

Saddleback Mountain

Targeted Local Outreach ProgramsHelp Water Providers Meet Allocation Goals

We are at a water conservation tipping point. Conservation awareness is at an all-time high, and so are the penalties for exceeding your allocation. Customers are beginning to conserve more, but they need one final nudge if you are to reach your allocation conservation target – a nudge that can only come from you. Laer Pearce & Associates can help.

Allocation goals and watering restrictions vary across the region, so it’s no wonder customers are confused by mixed messages. Most are ready to act, but they need clear messages – powerful messages – from the source of information on water they trust most: their water provider.

Local providers are the ones that will be penalized if local customers don’t conserve, so shouldn’t local providers play the most active role in changing their customers’ behavior?

LP&A Can Help! Most local water providers’ communication programs weren’t built for challenges as great as allocation, where missing the target can be very, very costly. Laer Pearce & Associates has the expertise and experience to focus your outreach on your allocation target. We’ve been changing customer water-use behavior for years, and we can help you avoid or lessen the risk of financial penalties for going over your allocation. Let’s talk today!

What Others Are Saying About Laer Pearce & Associates

www.laer.com

The LP&A Toolbox

Strategic communications support Community outreach programs Strategic messaging Collateral and Web site development Media relations Crisis management Public affairs for infrastructure projects Special events Brand development

The Right Team for the Job

Laer Pearce & Associates is one of California’s premier public affairs firms, specializing in regulatory issues and community outreach for the water and land development industries. Few firms are better qualified to communicate the West’s complex water issues and the need to conserve, or to build support for new infrastructure projects. That’s because we live and breathe this stuff. We’re focused on the issues that affect the water community most, and we have a proven track record of success.

Changing customer behavior isn’t easy, but we’ve been doing it for more than 15 years. We know your issues. We understand your challenges. We’re uniquely qualified to help you achieve your goals.

Specialized Expertise for the Water Industry

See what we can do for you

“We appreciate your sage counsel and perspective. We appreciate the help from you and your team. You folks do a great job for the SMWD ratepayers.”– John Schatz, Santa Margarita Water District

“I’ve been a customer since 2003 and I would like to comment on how much I enjoy reading your Pipeline newsletter. I find it very interesting and just the right size. Keep up the good work.”– Steve Morrison, Cucamonga Valley Water District customer

“Laer Pearce is one of the best PR guys in the Golden State.”– Hugh Hewitt, nationally syndicated radio host, author and blogger

Our Strategic Communications Programs Help Water Districts:

Who We’ve Worked For

See inside for success stories of how we’ve helped water districts achieve their public communications objectives.

Improve customer outreach and industry positioning Shape public opinion and behavior in support of conservation Generate support for new infrastructure projects Minimize negative exposure in crisis situations

Cucamonga ValleyWater District

Jurupa Community Services District Los Alisos Water District

Metropolitan Water District ofSouthern California

Moulton Niguel Water District

Newhall County Water District

Santa Margarita Water District

South Orange CountyWastewater Authority

Yorba Linda Water District

West Basin MunicipalWater District

Mesa Consolidated Water District

Inland Empire Utilities Agency

Irvine Ranch Water District