OUR CLIENT:

Eugene Water & Electric Bureau (EWEB)

OUR WORK:

When EWEB moved ahead to develop a secondary water supply for Eugene and surrounding communities, it faced several significant communications challenges. Customers, already under financial pressure, were confronted with possibly paying full price for system improvements. Great engineering and a solid financial plan would not be enough to secure success. The people footing the bill had to understand the project benefits and endorse the plan. Public misconceptions about Willamette river water quality posed another challenge to the project—even though in other parts of the U.S. and world, the upper Willamette would be considered pristine.

EWEB retained Barney & Worth to develop a robust and multi-faceted communications plan to guide the decision process for selecting a second drinking water source for Eugene and help  “move the needle” of public opinion.

B&W services included: 

• Public opinion research (stakeholder interviews, telephone survey and focus groups)
• Comprehensive communications plan
• Messaging, community education and outreach planning
• Branded "Water Reliability Initiative" for strategic investments to improve resilience and reliability

Results:

The sustained messaging and outreach influenced customers’ understanding and support for strategic investments in water reliability. According to 2015 opinion research:

• Customers showed a significant 30% increase since 2012 in awareness of water supply risks related single supply source
• Over half of customers surveyed thought developing additional sources was very important, a 21% increase from 2012
• Two-thirds of customers surveyed supported the rate increases necessary to develop an additional water source, a 17% increase since 2012