April 17, 2018 - WEF past PCOC chair Joe Haworth blogs about why public ed is so important.
As a water professional who has spent more than 50 years trying to improve the health and sanitation for the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County and one who has spent many years serving on WEF’s Public Communication and Outreach Committee, I’m convinced that public communication on what we do is absolutely essential to obtaining the appreciation and support (funding and otherwise) needed for clean, sustainable water resources.
In too many communities, the connection between health and water infrastructure is not understood, and yet communication and education on what water professionals do and how citizens can help support clean water in their communities is considered a luxury. That’s why the WEF PCOC continues to develop low and no-cost materials to help members convey simple messages about pollution prevention, the value of water and water infrastructure, resource recycling and conservation, and more. Latest offerings include new bill stuffers for adult audiences include one on biosolids recycling and another about keeping wipes out of toilets.
Beyond outreach to adults, I’ve always believed that educating kids about modern sanitation can help change their understanding and behavior toward water and other natural resources-- plus they go home and tell their parents! So I’ll also invite you to check out PCOC’s new Water Palooza Toolkit, a collection of free simple hands-on activities that can be taken to schools or other appropriate venues to educate kids about water. Enjoy, and Happy Earth Day from the PCOC!
Joe Haworth, retired head of public information for the Sanitation Districts of L.A. County, is a past chair and member of WEF’s PCOC and chairman of Think Earth Environmental Education Foundation, which offers free curriculum to help students become more aware of the environment and develop habits and behaviors to help protect it.