Education & Public Awareness

Education and public awareness measures are essential to effective water resources management.  Changes in basic behavior and practices are necessary to achieve long-term improvements in water use and water quality.  Such changes will not occur until citizens become aware off water issues and actions that lead to environmental degradation.  The District has made considerable progress towards its overall education and outreach objectives by

1) Building public awareness through mass media
2) Reaching key target audiences through outreach efforts
3) Engaging students in water education activities

Education and Public Awareness Successes

• Annual surveys show an overall increase in public awareness of critical water issues through efforts of the Clean Water Campaign and Water Use It Wisely programs. More than 70 percent of residents surveyed were aware of the Clean Water Campaign and nearly 45 percent were familiar with Water Use It Wisely after only one year.
  
• Television advertising has reached nearly three million people, and more than 500,000 residents have seen outdoor advertising throughout the region.
  
• Workshops, seminars and collateral materials have helped the Water District reach key target audiences. More than 1,600 people have attended workshops and seminars on water protection measures. Nearly 70,000 informative brochures on various water topics have been requested and distributed to residents and local governments within the region.
  
• Primary and secondary education programs have helped the Water District teach more than 3,000 students about the importance of water conservation and protection efforts. The Water District has developed resources and presentations for educators to use in the classroom.  Thousands of students have also participated in events, festivals and essay contests that promote pollution prevention and water conservation practices.