RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Western Municipal Water District received three awards from the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) honoring the District’s commitment to transparency in customer communications.
“Keeping our customers informed about projects and initiatives affecting them is our top priority,” said Western’s General Manager John Rossi. “Receiving an award acknowledging our outreach as one of the best in state is proof positive that we are successfully reaching out to our constituents.”
A CAPIO Award of Distinction was presented to Western in the category of marketing and communications outreach for the District’s Water Budget Rate Outreach, as well as in the category of writing, for a news release highlighting the District’s partnership with the Murrieta Mud Run to supply water while cleaning out pipes. The District also received an Award of Merit for its “Did You Know?” video, highlighting water use at a global and local level.
Western received the CAPIO Award of Distinction for Water Budget Rates for effectively educating customers on the District’s new rate structure. The innovative new rate structure provides all customers with individualized water budgets that encourage efficient use with lower rates. The District collaborated with Laer Pearce and Associates to provide customer outreach. Currently, nearly 85 percent of Western customers are within their water budget due in large part to the thorough outreach.
To date, Western’s successful water budget rate program has also been honored with a Polaris Award, the top honor from the Inland Empire Public Relations Society of America; a Crown Communities Award presented by the editors of American City & County magazine; as well as a top finalist in the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Best in Blue inaugural awards’ program.
In addition, the District’s “Ready, Set, Race: Western Provides Water for Murrieta Community Event While Cleaning Out Pipelines” won accolades in the written category for its successful partnership with the community to use water that needed to be flushed out of pipes in an innovative way at a mud run. “Did You Know?” received an Award of Merit in the video category for its informative, strategic look at water in the region and beyond.
CAPIO has more than 300 government communication professionals throughout the state. The organization’s Awards of Excellence are judged by a group of communication professionals and recognize and honor outstanding professional work and accomplishment. The organization awards three winners in each of its 17 different categories, including an Award of Excellence, Award of Distinction and Award of Merit.
Western Municipal Water District provides water supply, wastewater disposal and water resource management to the public in a safe, reliable, environmentally sensitive and financially responsible manner.
