22 Mar World Water Day 2022 – Grounded in Groundwater

As of March 2022, more than 231 million acres of crops in the United States are experiencing drought conditions and in the past month 35 states are experiencing “moderate drought” levels or worse. 100% of California is at a “moderate drought” level and 35.2% is at an “extreme drought” level.

Drought levels are increasing every day and that’s why this years’ World Water Day 2022 is focusing on groundwater, an essential resource and a complex topic to communicate.

And yet, effective communication is critical to change. To address issues of declining groundwater supplies, to encourage personal actions to protect our resources, and to make the case for investments to replenish our groundwater supplies requires understanding. And understanding requires information – written, oral, visual, and even tactile – to communicate where our water comes from, pressures affecting that resource, and steps we need to take to secure a sustainable future.

After 36 years communicating about the range of important water issues, we at K&A know there is no cookie cutter approach. For “Recharge Fresno,” stakeholders first needed to recognize there was a water supply problem, then understand that reliance on groundwater had to stop, and finally agree that millions of dollars in infrastructure would be needed to bring a new surface water supply to the City. That water supply is now in place. In San Diego (and now in communities throughout California), stakeholders needed to first understand that they couldn’t conserve their way out of problem, and then agree that advanced purification of wastewater could be a gamechanger for their City.  Construction of the Pure Water Phase 1 Projects in now underway, including the North City Pure Water Facility. And in communities throughout California, water users of all types – business, industry, agriculture, residential – are undertaking historic stakeholder engagement process to find common ground for addressing declining resources through sustainable groundwater management.

These are but a few examples of the visionary projects and activities that are moving forward, due in large part to an early commitment to stakeholder engagement and communicating in ways that are understandable and reach hard-to-reach audiences. K&A is proud to be part of these efforts and we join our public agency and utility partners in the U.S. and around the world in celebrating World Water Day – continuing to bring focus to water issues and solutions and celebrate the tenacity it takes to protect public health and our environment!