Water

Get the Lead Out Community Engagement

lbennett — Tue, 13 May 2025 18:44:28 +0000

Get the Lead Out Community Engagement

lbennett Wed, 05/14/2025 - 01:44

The Ask: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Get the Lead Out Initiative provides technical assistance to communities to inventory lead service lines and access water infrastructure funding for lead pipe removal. EPA sought MDB’s support in grassroots outreach, community education, and collaboration with local stakeholders to support the Get the Lead Out Initiative.

The Solution: MDB conducted outreach in communities with lead service lines to raise awareness about lead contamination in water, educate residents about the initiative's goals and actions, and identify lead service lines in homes. MDB community engagement specialists attended community events and, alongside local utility workers, conducted household visits to establish a comprehensive inventory of water service lines in towns across the country.

Notable Outcomes: MDB is part of a team that has reached thousands of residents across several communities with lead service lines. The home visits help in the development of local lead pipe inventories and address potential sources of lead contamination in the water supply, contributing to efforts aimed at improving public health and safety.

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Building a Brand to Spread Community Awareness

lbennett — Tue, 13 May 2025 18:39:01 +0000

Building a Brand to Spread Community Awareness

Communication & Outreach

Community Engagement

Technical Assistance

Water

lbennett Wed, 05/14/2025 - 01:39

The Ask: Stillmeadow Community Fellowship Church, a partner of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Urban Waters Program, expanded its programs and partnerships to restore and enhance green spaces in Baltimore communities. Stillmeadow sought MDB’s guidance to improve their external communications for new partners and help leverage their goals and accomplishments to stakeholders in Baltimore and strengthen funding proposals.

The Solution: MDB convened meetings with Stillmeadow to help organize and identify their priorities to develop communication products that best convey Stillmeadow’s mission and highlight their achievements. MDB also provided guidance on leveraging narrative storytelling to assist Stillmeadow in broadening their partnership network and compete for more funding opportunities. MDB also reviewed previous communication products created by Stillmeadow partners to identify and build off existing branding.

Notable Outcomes: MDB communication specialists and graphic designers worked with Stillmeadow to generate consistent brand elements and develop a portfolio of communication materials with new and improved design elements and written content, including a fact sheet and PowerPoint template, that they can customize for each program and personalize for the intended audience. These materials help convey their brand and build awareness among partners, stakeholders, and funders in the Baltimore community.

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Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap: A Comprehensive Wastewater Solutions Plan for the San Carlos Apache Tribe

lbennett — Tue, 13 May 2025 18:33:23 +0000

Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap: A Comprehensive Wastewater Solutions Plan for the San Carlos Apache Tribe

Communication & Outreach

Community Engagement

Technical Assistance

Water

lbennett Wed, 05/14/2025 - 01:33

The Ask: The San Carlos Apache Tribe conducted a septic survey which identified many homes on the Reservation with poorly functioning onsite systems or no sewer services at all. Through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap initiative, the Tribe’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) sought technical assistance to address these known wastewater gaps by connecting residents to educational and financial resources.

The Solution: EPA engaged MDB’s project management, community engagement, and engineering support and decentralized wastewater expertise to help the Tribe develop a plan to address current and future wastewater issues. MDB worked extensively with the Tribal DEP to organize information on wastewater services. As community engagement was a key element to building trust, MDB planners and community engagement specialists made frequent visits to the Reservation, conducting site visits and delivering presentations to the Tribal Council.

Notable Outcomes: MDB developed a comprehensive wastewater treatment improvement plan and authored the Options for Clean Water Solutions for the San Carlos Apache Tribe, Arizona. The wastewater treatment improvement plan provides recommendations for the onsite systems and improvements to the central sewer system as well as approaches for management, public education, and governance. It addresses the Tribe’s immediate sanitation system needs and includes recommendations for building a policy framework for sound management and sufficient financial resources. MDB also developed a wastewater management ordinance to help the Tribe prevent issues with septic system failures.

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Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap: Community Engagement Efforts in Chaparral, New Mexico

lbennett — Tue, 13 May 2025 18:27:15 +0000

Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap: Community Engagement Efforts in Chaparral, New Mexico

Communication & Outreach

Community Engagement

Technical Assistance

Water

lbennett Wed, 05/14/2025 - 01:27

The Ask: Chaparral is a fast-growing, unincorporated community split between Doña Ana County and Otero County. The community is experiencing increased home density and economic growth which is now stressing existing wastewater infrastructure. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sought MDB’s community engagement and decentralized wastewater expertise to help Chaparral address its wastewater challenges.

The Solution: MDB supported EPA in providing technical assistance, including community engagement, development of wastewater solutions, and identification of funding opportunities. MDB decentralized wastewater and community engagement specialists developed community engagement materials and conducted multiple site visits to work with community stakeholders towards a solution.

Notable Outcomes: MDB developed an educational brochure, in English and Spanish to promote septic maintenance best practices and the benefits of a working septic system. Additionally, MDB was part of a team that brought together representatives from Doña Ana and Otero Counties and initiated a process toward an intergovernmental agreement.

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The Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap Community Initiative Addresses Wastewater Challenges in Rural America

wmclean — Wed, 14 Jun 2023 16:24:57 +0000

The Closing America’s Wastewater Access Gap Community Initiative Addresses Wastewater Challenges in Rural America 

Communication & Outreach

Program Management

Water

wmclean Wed, 06/14/2023 - 23:24

The Ask: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Agriculture sought to provide technical assistance to rural and underserved communities to assess and identify wastewater infrastructure needs and pursue federal funding for solution options. The initiative provides technical assistance to 11 communities across the American South and Southwest facing various water infrastructure and sanitation challenges.

The Solution: MDB decentralized wastewater experts, engineers, and analysts were engaged to conduct site visits, engage with communities, complete community wastewater assessments, and develop solutions plans for the 11 communities. MDB conducted assessments of physical and natural infrastructure and evaluated technical, regulatory, managerial, and financial capacity of local governments to implement sustainable wastewater treatment solutions. MDB facilitated and organized meetings with community members, routinely engaged stakeholders, and provided project management services to prioritize community goals.

Notable Outcomes: MDB successfully engaged community leaders, completed wastewater assessments, developed community outreach materials, and outlined innovative treatment solutions. Community and local government leaders have touted the benefits of the technical assistance teams’ work supporting their community and bringing infrastructure and funding solutions options that have long challenged their community.

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Measuring Watershed Partnership Impacts

ntomchin — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 04:03:21 +0000

Measuring Watershed Partnership Impacts

Communication & Outreach

ntomchin Wed, 03/09/2022 - 11:03

The ask: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Urban Waters Program, which works in underserved watersheds across the country, needed a mechanism to highlight program achievements to date, community impacts, and environmental and public health successes.

The solution: To promote the achievements of the Urban Waters Program in connecting underserved communities with their watersheds, MDB led the development of the program’s first-ever Progress Report and supplemental overview fact sheet. We designed a process to curate and synthesize information on the program’s cumulative impacts and successes and engaged program stakeholders for report content and data. The report was effective in telling an engaging story of the program and highlighting environmental outcomes and funding leveraged, as well as providing a high-level snapshot of key projects and programmatic achievements of the Urban Waters locations.

Notable outcomes: The report was shared among all Urban Waters locations and was lauded by program leadership as an important step toward a more sustainable, accountable, impactful program.

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Septic System Awareness Campaign Inspires Homeowners to Act

ntomchin — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 04:00:14 +0000

Septic System Awareness Campaign Inspires Homeowners to Act

Communication & Outreach

Water

ntomchin Wed, 03/09/2022 - 11:00

The ask: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) needed technical and communications support to encourage homeowners to maintain their septic systems to protect public health, preserve valuable water resources, and sustain economic vitality in their communities.

The solution: MDB worked with EPA to develop an ongoing national annual awareness and education campaign called SepticSmart Week. MDB produces SepticSmart Week outreach materials, plans outreach activities, disseminates campaign messages, and evaluates the campaign’s success. Outreach materials include brochures, templates, infographics, social media content, educational postcards and flyers, as well as SepticSmart Week Quick Tip videos, which provide best practices on how to maintain a residential septic system. MDB also annually updates and distributes a social media guide to help stakeholders navigate digital communications.

Notable outcomes: Since the campaign’s inception in 2012, SepticSmart Week messages, outreach materials, news stories, and events have reached millions of homeowners. Dozens of states and industry partners have issued SepticSmart Week proclamations, shared positive feedback, and acknowledged an increase in homeowner service calls that demonstrate increased awareness about the value of septic system maintenance.

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Translating Scientific Water Data for the Public

ntomchin — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 03:58:45 +0000

Translating Scientific Water Data for the Public

Communication & Outreach

Water

ntomchin Wed, 03/09/2022 - 10:58

The ask: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sought to promote the National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS) as a tool for state and local governments and increase use of survey data for new audiences including the public and non-governmental organizations.

The solution: To communicate the findings to a broader audience, MDB recommended a communications framework that identified key stakeholder audiences, strategies for positioning the National Aquatic Resource Surveys, and options for outreach products and public messages.

After facilitating discussion with the EPA program science and communications teams, MDB produced communications materials, including a new program fact sheet and a series of infographics, to inform key audiences. We also provided a stakeholder list and recommendations for future communications efforts .

Notable outcomes: The new NARS outreach products were used internally by EPA and shared with stakeholders. MDB’s work allowed scientific water quality data on the health of the nation’s lakes, rivers, and streams, coastal waters, and wetlands, to be easily assessed and show comparisons between regions and over time.

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Big River Communications Campaign

ntomchin — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 03:56:42 +0000

Big River Communications Campaign

Communication & Outreach

Water

ntomchin Wed, 03/09/2022 - 10:56

The ask: Federal and state government stakeholders in the Big River Watershed, located near St. Louis, Missouri, needed a cohesive plan for educating the public on lead exposure and contamination in the watershed.

The solution: MDB led the development of a communications and outreach strategy, and identified key messages based on facilitated dialogue with a diverse group of Big River stakeholders. We helped implement the strategy and created branding materials, infographics, a social media plan, and a website template with core content and message mapping.

Notable outcomes: Stakeholders applauded the strategy as the first unified government communications plan in the watershed for communicating with, and educating, the public. The client is confident that the new messaging will encourage the public to take more precautions in the watershed, have their home soil tested and cleaned up, and limit their exposure pathways.

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