If you're reading this article, you realize that more and more information consumption is happening online. The public often turns to the Internet first when looking for an answer.

What this means for water systems (and all utilities) is that you need to be where the public is, producing and sharing content that can be consumed. Fortunately, it is easier than ever to be online and actively engage with your customers using social media.

Your Options
The low-cost to getting online means that many of the methods used by larger water supplies are readily scalable to small communities. It also doesn't take a ton of time to be active on the Internet and use social media tools. We've provided some of the most common options and examples of how they are being used.

Website - A website allows potential customers to find you easily, especially if they have a question about a bill, getting connected or an issue with water quality. With WordPress.com, you can set up a website with your own domain name (YOURURL.com) for just $17/year that is easy to maintain.

• The Pioneer Rural Water District in South Carolina maintains a website with service connection forms, their Consumer Confidence Report and important contact information.

Email Newsletter - A regular newsletter delivered by email is one of the most effective ways of keeping in touch with your customers. There are a wide variety of low-cost services for sending your newsletter, including Mail Chimp which is free for the first 2000 emails on your list.

• The City of Stillwater, OK provided regular email updates to customers during a lengthy period of distribution system upgrades serving a local private rural water utility.

Facebook - Facebook is the #1 social network on the Internet. The statistics show that a majority of people who are online are using Facebook. The thing is, most people are using it exclusively for personal/family reasons. By having a presence on Facebook now, with a Facebook Page, you can be there when 'most people' are ready to take the next step to using Facebook is a professional capacity.

• The San Antonio Water System shares photos, inks to community news, information about local water supplies and more on its Facebook page.

Twitter - With just 140 characters per 'tweet', Twitter allows an organization to share valuable information in real-time. The service has been widely embraced by emergency management (editor's note: links to a private sector blog) officials for spreading important news quickly, serving as one important element of an emergency response plan.

• The Miami County Rural Water District in Kansas uses Twitter to notify its customers about service disruptions.

Tip from SWSO: We suggest starting with one option at a time, so it is less overwhelming. Facebook is the easiest and we're more than happy to help you get set up.


Why Does it Matter?
All of these tools for online communication are fundamentally about forging stronger relationships between the information producer (you) and the information consumer (your customers). That is exactly why we create blog posts, send our newsletter, share links on Facebook and tweet about important water issues. We want you, our readers (our 'customers') to trust us and come to SmallWaterSupply.org when you need to find a document or event.

Developing and maintaing a positive relationship with your customers will, for example, enable rate increases to be better understood, accepted and supported. Therefore, being online and talking to your customers is an important component of working towards (financial) sustainability.

We're considering putting together a few webinars on this topic - how to get set up and how to use these tools effectively. If you might be interested in this type of online training, please leave a comment or email us (info@smallwatersupply.org).

How to Run your Small Water Supply like a Business is a weekly series at SmallWaterSupply.org, appearing on most Mondays.

Last week I found an article on Twitter about a water operator who has surrended his license. Why? He lied about his CEUs.

We read in the news almost every week about very serious transgressions of public servants, from the mayor lining his pockets to illegal wastewater discharges. Sadly, a couple of times each year we even find out that someone died from a public servant not doing his or her job.

We don't hear that often about the 'little' things. That chemical feeding reading that was a guesstimate. The training class where a participant took a long lunch. The form that was signed as the certified operator for another system he had not recently visited. You don't hear about these things until they turn into a not-so-little problem, or the individual gets caught.

Water operators like this one in Massachusetts give industry professionals who do the right thing, day in and day out, a bad name. 

Public trust is a community asset
Sometimes we forget to talk publicly about the truly important responsibility for public health protection in the hands of water operators. As water colleagues we know this, but I would argue that we owe it to the communities we serve to remind them.

Do something in 2012 to connect the water from the tap to the real people who make it happen.

Host a tour of your plant or include a flyer in your next bill. These efforts will give the public a positive message about the importance of operators and the job they do. Through local outreach you can demonstrate that most operators are not like John Glaze.

How to Run your Small Water Supply like a Business is a weekly series at SmallWaterSupply.org, appearing on most Mondays.

A few years ago I shadowed a Maryland Department of the Environment sanitary survey of a small system in western Maryland. It was an eye-opening experience, especially since I was pretty green in the industry at the time. One thing really stuck with me: the importance of a cross connection control program. I also learned that this is one of the most commonly noted deficiencies in sanitary surveys.

A cross connection occurs whenever there is an actual or potential physical connection between the public drinking water system and any possible source of contamination.

We have documents from many states in our database (including specific regulations and requirements); these below are some of the most helpful introductory materials. What is included is not only helpful for water system operators, but also the public. Homeowners and businesses in your community play a large role in backflow prevention and this is not commonly understood by the general public.

Cross Connection Control: A Best Practices Guide
from US Environmental Protection Agency
This 4-page document is a fact sheet answering common questions about backflow and cross-connection control. It also contains information about the risks of cross-connections and well as some preventative advice. Technologies that are available to control cross-connections and prevent backflow are also covered.

Backflow Prevention and Cross-Connection Control: Protecting our Public Water System
from Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
This 2-page flier presents information on backflow prevention. It discusses what it is, concerns associated with it, how it occurs and what it causes, and what can be done to protect the system. Some specific topics discusse include auxiliary water systems and booster pumps.

Cross Connections Can Create Health Hazards
from Washington State Department of Health
A 2-page brochure that explains what cross connections are, how contaminated water can flow backwards into a consumer's plumbing and the public water system, and where to get help to prevent backflow from occurring. It is intended for consumers and also mentions 12 common places that cross connections are found.

Cross Connection and Backflow Prevention
from National Environmental Services Center
This 4-page tech brief examines the problems associated with cross connections and backflow and provides practical solutions for controlling or eliminating them. Some of the common questions that are answered include: What is a cross connection? What is a backflow? What about terrorism and water security?

Commercial Cross-Connection Survey Form
from Nebraska Rural Water Association
This 2-page document is a survey conducted by utilities to assist customers in reporting potential backflow hazards and to comply with regulations. It is intended for consumers to fill out and return to their water providers. This form must be filled out every five years by consumers.

Further Reading
For additional technical support in developing your program, we recommend US EPA's Cross Connection Control Manual. This 50-page guidance manual contains information on cross connections, backflow prevention, system management and public health. It describes the health significance of cross-connections, how back flow events occur, how to prevent backflow and backsiphonage, how to test preventers, how to develop a cross-connection control program, and information on ordinances.

SmallWaterSupply.org's Document Search can help you find valuable references, resources and educational materials to make your job easier.