Covid-19 Response

From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the region’s water and wastewater agencies collaborated closely to communicate key issues and reassure the public that water supplies in the region remained safe and reliable. The Water Authority and more than half of its member agencies worked together to produce a regional video highlighting water and wastewater industry employees delivering the message, “We’re Here for You.” To ensure that water quality messaging would reach diverse communities across the San Diego region, the Water Authority also launched its first outreach campaign developed in Spanish to increase trust in tap water among Hispanic residents.

To help businesses and other facilities reopen safely after long shutdowns, the Water Authority developed an outreach toolkit with member agencies to inform building owners and managers about taking precautions with plumbing systems in buildings that had been vacant or had low water use. The outreach was necessary to ensure that building owners and managers flushed pipes properly to avoid serious health complications that could result from bacteria growing in pipes, fixtures and associated equipment that were not used for extended periods.