Conneaut, OH Reduces Unknowns and Boosts Community Engagement

Background

Conneaut, Ohio rests along the beautiful shores of Lake Erie. The Water Department serves a population of 12,318 through 5,296 service lines. As part of their commitment to maintaining water quality and ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations, Conneaut partnered with 120Water to design a Resident Material Identification Survey Verification Program, focusing on identifying the materials used in service lines. This initiative enhanced the city’s service line inventory and strengthened community engagement through effective communication strategies.

The Challenge

The city needed a cost-effective option to reduce unknown service lines and did not want to start with potholing or digging up customers’ yards. To this end, the city decided to conduct a survey to identify the material of service lines across its service area. Like many water systems we've worked with, Conneaut was looking at a sea of unknowns. The goal was to gather accurate data to update its service line inventory, a crucial step in complying with the Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR).

The Solutions

120Water provided a comprehensive solution that included both software and personalized services to streamline the survey process. The strategy involved sending out 5,000 self-mailers—a type of postcard that allows recipients to fill out and return their responses by mail. To maximize response rates, 120Water and Conneaut deployed several key tactics:

• Pre-Survey Notifications: Residents were notified in advance about the upcoming survey through a series of communication efforts, including flyers sent with utility bills.
• Nudges for Engagement: Follow-up communications were sent to encourage residents to participate in the survey, significantly boosting response rates.
• Data Management: The 120Water team reviewed and imported responses into the inventory module. This streamlined process ensured that Conneaut had accurate and up-to-date information on their service lines.

The Results

The program performed amazingly well, with a 20% response rate (the typical response rate is 10%) from the mailed surveys. This success was attributed to the strategic communication efforts and the ease of returning the self-mailers. 120Water was able to efficiently update Conneaut’s service line inventory using the data collected, ensuring compliance with LCRR and better preparing the city for future regulatory requirements. The city saved thousands of dollars in potential replacement or potholing costs. By leveraging 120Water’s software and professional services, Conneaut set a strong example of how a city can efficiently manage its water quality programs while fostering trust and transparency within the community.