Communicating a water rate adjustment effectively and clearly
About this project
Client
City of Tustin Water Services
Services
Community Outreach, Creative
The opportunity
Like many water agencies throughout California, the City of Tustin Water Services team was faced with the need to increase water rates for customers to keep pace with changing state drinking water standards while also addressing higher rising operating, energy and capital costs; all of which are factors outside of Tustin’s direct control. While the rate adjustment was critical to maintain services and ensure fiscal stability, the team needed to proactively answer customers’ unavoidable questions about why the increase was needed and resolve concerns about the specific needs of Tustin’s community members who live on fixed incomes.
The approach
JPW was hired to develop a comprehensive outreach strategy for the rate adjustment process that would:
Foster trust and goodwill by transparently communicating about the rate adjustment process.
Educate customers about the proposed rates, why a rate adjustment was needed and steps in the rate adjustment process.
Establish Tustin as a reliable source of information through a variety of communication channels.
The team established the following:
Communications and outreach strategy
Key messages and master narrative
Dedicated phone number and email to funnel questions and concerns
Script for internal team to use with public and media inquiries
Water rate webpage including list of frequently asked questions
Social media posts
News articles
Eblasts
Customer letters and postcards
218 notice
Strategy, approach and materials development for two public workshops
Multi-language designs to ensure resources were accessible to Tustin’s native Spanish-speakers
The solution
This campaign was successful by communicating highly technical, complex information visually to ensure everyone could understand the reasoning for the rate adjustment, and how it would ultimately affect them. The team used plain language and infographics to inform the public on critical information they would want and need to know, including:
Where does Tustin’s water come from?
Why is a rate adjustment needed?
How are customers’ water rates used by the City?
How are customers’ water bills calculated?
How does Tustin’s water rate compare to other water service providers?
These engaging infographics were incorporated across all campaign materials and channels to make complex rate adjustment language more approachable for customers, improving public trust and sentiment about the rate adjustment.
The reward
At the public hearing on Dec. 5, 2023, Tustin’s city council voted to approve the new proposed water rates with a 5-0 vote across the board. They accepted Tustin Water Services’ initial proposal of an annual 9 percent increase for the next five years. Out of 14,000 water customers, the team only received a total of 23 written protests, demonstrating the team’s success in engaging the Tustin community about the rate adjustment process and establishing the City of Tustin as a trusted source of information throughout the process.