Project Goal
WaterNow Alliance supported the Town of Wellington by creating a comprehensive water efficiency communications toolkit to effectively communicate water efficiency practices to various target audiences in their service area. This toolkit aims to empower Town of Wellington staff with the tools, resources, and best practices they can employ to encourage their customers to become more water efficient to sustain current and future generations. The Town has an overarching goal to engage 100 residents, and any newly elected or appointed officials, with the recommended water efficiency communications content within one year of project implementation.
Our Approach
The Town of Wellington, situated at the crossroads of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains and eastern plains in Larimer County, encompasses approximately 3.5 square miles and included about 11,047 residents as of 2020. Wellington has rich historical roots in Northern Colorado – dating back to the 1800s when the Town began developing agriculture and natural resources. The Town’s agricultural heritage not only highlights the historical importance of water but also presents an opportunity to bridge traditional practices with modern water-saving techniques. Wellington has experienced rapid population growth since the 2000s and continues to welcome new residents and businesses each year; this has put additional demands on its water resources and delivery systems. WaterNow worked closely with Town of Wellington staff to understand local community needs and produced a tailored water efficiency communications toolkit to enable Wellington staff to effectively message the importance of water efficiency practices, in a way that resonates with the community’s unique values and aspirations.
Outcomes
WaterNow developed a water efficiency communications toolkit to provide Town of Wellington staff with a comprehensive guide to effectively communicate water efficiency practices to various target audiences in their service area — from the residential community to homeowners’ associations and schools and businesses. The information and strategies presented in this toolkit aim to offer town staff a wide variety of customizable resources to raise awareness about the importance of water efficiency and encourage uptake of water efficiency strategies within the community.
The toolkit offers guidance and resources around crafting messages, selecting communication channels, and tailoring content to resonate with the unique demographics and perceptions of Wellington residents. It focuses on sharing resources around the value, importance and benefits of water efficiency practices, and highlights water efficiency tips, best practices, resources, and case studies around indoor and outdoor water use. The toolkit also outlines potential short-, mid-, and long-term strategies for integrating these resources and approaches into Wellington’s current and future communications strategies. Implementing a water efficiency communications strategy will help Wellington lower demands on utility treated water, as well as related stormwater, wastewater, and non-potable irrigation systems, which will benefit from the long-term supply of the Town and larger region.
