Social Media Best Practices for Water Utilities

social_media_blog-01In today’s day and age, social media has left no industry untouched. Every brand, company, product, city, and movement has a social media presence. It’s changed the way we interact with the world and the way we receive information. Social media provides businesses the opportunity to build their brand, nurture customer relationships, and share information in a rapid and cost effective manner. JD Power’s 2018 study has shown that employing multiple channels of communication leads to an increase in satisfaction rates of 14.8% among utility customers. These are benefits the water industry cannot afford to leave untapped, especially with 79% of American adults present online and with customer engagement and satisfaction becoming bigger priorities for utilities. Thankfully, with proper planning and preparation, social media might just be the missing piece to a successful total customer engagement strategy. … see more

To Build or Not to Build?

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Times have changed and current customer expectations established by other industries are pushing water utilities to re-evaluate their customers’ experience.  Providing a one-stop shop for customers to view and track water consumption, and take additional self-service actions is quickly becoming table stakes for water utilities of all sizes. Bluefield Research predicts a 17.1% compound annual growth rate for investment in customer engagement software platforms in the coming years.  As utilities consider deploying said solution, a myriad of team members from varying departments will likely want specific features or functionalities included with the project. Before long, the list of requirements can begin to feel overwhelmingly long and incredibly unique to the utility’s particular needs.  … see more

3 Ways Self-Service Payment Tools Combat Rising Water Rates

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When it comes to collecting payments and maintaining stable revenue, water utility companies face many challenges. One of the most pressing of these challenges is the issue of ever-increasing water rates due to aging water infrastructures and rising treatment costs across the country. In fact, a 2017 research study from Michigan State University shows that water rates have increased by 41% since 2010. If rates continue to rise at this rate over the course of the next 5 years, it’s estimated that over 40 million households in the U.S. won’t be able to afford water.

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WaterSmart Software Response to COVID-19

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Presently, we are in an unprecedented time and each day we are exposed to new information related to the COVID-19 virus.  The confusion and uncertainty surrounding the disease can certainly be unsettling. First and foremost, our thoughts are with those around the world who’ve been impacted by the virus. We are hoping for safety and health for all. Thus far, the COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking water. It is our understanding that standard water treatment methods used for filtering and disinfecting water, such as those in most municipal drinking water systems, should remove or inactivate pathogens causing COVID-19.

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Navigating the Path to AMI

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On February 5th, the American Water Works Association released “AWWA’s Best Practices for AMI System Rollout as learned by the FGUA” exploring the Florida Governmental Utility Authority’s experience transitioning 27,500 manual meters to Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). The article highlights lessons learned from the AMI project and best practices for other utilities to consider. With the analysis largely focusing on the design, construction and operational components of an AMI rollout, there was a gap for additional best practices utilities should incorporate for a successful AMI implementation and to drive long-term value from the investment.

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10 Years of WaterSmart in Review

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A decade is long period of time, yet it also seems to pass in the blink of an eye.  As 2020 quickly approaches and the current decade comes to a close, WaterSmart simultaneously celebrated ten years in business. WaterSmart was founded in November of 2009 as the first company in the United States to help water utilities use data analytics and behavioral science to improve water use efficiency and better serve and engage customers. 10 years later, we have worked with scores of utility staff, surveyed hundreds of thousands of end-use customers, attended thousands of conferences, and deployed a continuous stream of new product capabilities. What has come from all that are some fairly fascinating metrics and entertaining stories.
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Flowing into Fall 2019

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WaterSmart’s platform continues to evolve. Previously expanding from water-use efficiency tools to a broader set of customer engagement systems. Now, WaterSmart has expanded to a more comprehensive approach to supporting utility operations with automated solutions that help utility staff get more done in less time. Below are some highlights of how WaterSmart’s Fall 2019 Release streamlines utility operations.  
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The Retirement Wave is Coming: How will you manage?

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Our lives run on water. It is hard to imagine a day without a steady flow and luckily, in America it is rare we have to consider the possibility. For that security, we must be thankful for the hard-working water utility professionals that spend their days ensuring we have continued access to safe and reliable drinking water. These professionals play a vital role in protecting public health. And for this reason, maintaining a consistent and reliable workforce is incredibly crucial. Thus, a substantial wave of impending retirements in an industry facing recruiting challenges should be cause for concern.
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Meter to Cash: Turning Water Into Dollars

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When speaking with anyone who works for a water utility their priorities quickly become apparent. Water quality and reliability, intractably related to each other, form the core mission of any water utility. Without maintaining water quality and safety, customers may become sick or worse. Water suppliers in the United States take great pride in the reliability of service that they have provided for more than a century. No other country in the world has delivered such an extended period of reliability with 24×7 on demand water services. There are few people that live in the U.S. that can recount EVER turning on the tap and not receiving safe, life nourishing drinking water. … see more

Top Technology Adoption Trends in the Water Industry