Outreach Strategies to Enhance Well and Septic System Safety for Lower Income Communities

Across Wake County approximately 90,000 residents are served by some 40,000 private drinking water wells and 240,000 residents use approximately 90,000 on-site wastewater systems. Despite the health risks posed by well contamination and wastewater system failures, residents are often deterred from addressing these issues due to concerns about high repair costs.

The approach to increasing program participation involved:

• Extensive interviews with County departments and local community-based organizations to identify the key challenges to participating in the assistance program, as well as effective outreach practices, and collaboration opportunities.
• Bringing to bear best strategies for connecting with hard-to-reach customers from similar programs and utilities
• Interviewing pilot program participants in both English and Spanish to gather insights on barriers, preferences, and recommendations for program improvement, with participants receiving a $25 gift card in appreciation for their time and feedback.

The team mapped out each participants’ experiences and the “behind-the-scenes” work, including underlying actors, systems, touch points, and policies involved in creating and delivering that experience. The team also identified challenges and opportunities for customer engagement throughout the process. These findings were synthesized into an engagement toolkit for the County, outlining methods to enhance customer participation in the program.