Strategies for Clear Communication and Effective Outreach
Clear communication and effective outreach are critical components to the success of your lead service line replacement program. Communication tools ensure your residents and businesses have the information they need to participate.
Lead service line replacement (LSLR) programs can differ from most other private or public works projects in notable ways due to work requiring interactions with residents on their property and inside their home.
Lead service line replacement is a complex process that can be challenging to communicate to residents. Residents may have questions about the health and benefits of replacing a lead service line and the impact of replacement on their property. They may also have some lingering distrust or skepticism towards their local government or utility.
To help your municipality remove lead service lines safely and efficiently, it is important to use proven strategies when engaging with your community.
Best Practices for Communication and Outreach
Many of the strategies presented here are from a recent report by Elevate: Tapping into Success: Strategies for Effective Lead Service Line Replacement Communication.
Communicate a sense of urgency, not emergency.
Aim to foster a healthy level of concern without adding an unnecessary (and unhelpful) sense of panic. This approach will not only encourage your residents to readily grant access when it comes time for replacement, but it may also help them take steps to mitigate their risk of lead exposure (like using provided water filters) while they wait for the replacement.
Center residents in your communications and address concerns upfront.
Your communications should proactively answer the questions your residents are likely to have. Your efforts should address concerns about the lead service line replacement process, provide accurate information about the risks of lead exposure, and be easily understood by the general public. Focus on accessible language, meaning it is free from acronyms and jargon.
Diversify your communication.
No single outreach strategy will work for every resident. Instead, layer a variety of strategies to most effectively reach a diverse audience. You should also ensure that your key messages or materials are translated into the languages that meet the needs of your community. A robust outreach plan may include emails targeting a neighborhood and social media engagement coupled with door hangers and yard signs.
Build community trust.
Creating a community engagement plan around lead-in-water issues is a great opportunity to address distrust and skepticism within the community. Municipalities that create open, transparent channels of communication with the broader community will have the most success in resident education and engagement and, ultimately, with your lead service line replacement program. Word-of-mouth communication from resident to resident is one of the most effective ways to counter distrust.
Be visible beyond times of crisis.
Typically, residents don’t give much thought to their water supply—until they have a problem. As you work to gain resident participation in your lead service line replacement program, keep in mind how water is seen and valued within your community, from how it is treated to how it is delivered. Increasing the visibility of water through the lead service line replacement program can help your residents think about water now.
Creative strategies may include attending community events, hosting writing competitions about water, participating in programs or events at local colleges or businesses, or inviting interested residents to attend an actual replacement project. These efforts will show that you care about your community outside of times of crisis. This visibility can also help you garner the political and financial support you need to run a high-impact program.
Get personal; go door to door.
While door-to-door outreach can be time-consuming and resource-intensive, it can also be a highly effective way to drive participation in your program. While it may make more sense for smaller communities, larger municipal areas can also establish partnerships with community organizations to reach residents more resource-consciously.
Keep it simple.
Cook County TAP provides valuable updates on best practices for your lead service line replacement program. This includes sharing strategies from other municipalities on creative, cost-effective approaches to community engagement. Numerous free or low-cost tools are available to engage your residents, including generating buzz from media coverage and using online forms or mobile apps to help residents sign up to learn more or schedule an assessment of their water service line.
Find the right person for the job.
Take a thoughtful approach to who interacts with your residents about your lead service line replacement program. This might be a trusted messenger, someone skilled at outreach, or a long-standing and well-known municipal employee. No matter who it is, strive to explain your program in simple terms, answer questions with empathy, and explain why your program is important to both the residents and the broader community.
Involve residents in the process, from planning through restoration.
Long before any replacement activity begins, residents should be included in the development of your lead service line replacement program. After all, it is the residents who will be most impacted by the replacement work—and it is the residents who are most critical to the success of your program!
Consider ordinances and other legal tools.
At the end of the day, despite your best efforts, some residents may still prefer to opt-out. Some communities have implemented ordinances and legal tools to ensure residents receive lead service line replacement. If an ordinance or legal tool is used, it’s critical to pair this with robust education and outreach to ensure residents understand the importance and process of LSLR.