Talking Dollars and Sense: How to Make the Case for Water Investments
Data-Based Strategies for Communicating the Value of Water
Water infrastructure is often invisible until it fails. Yet the infrastructure and systems that deliver clean drinking water, treat wastewater and manage water resources are foundational to public health, economic development and environmental sustainability. As water professionals, we know this. But how do we help others see it, too?
We’ve been working to answer that question through our Value of Water approach. This strategic perspective prioritizes holistic, long-term investments over short-term cost savings and invites decision-makers to ask: Which investments deliver the greatest return, not just fiscally, but also environmentally and socially?
To make the case for water infrastructure investments, we need more than engineering expertise. We need data-driven strategies that incorporate economics, behavioral science and strategic communications. In this article, we share key takeaways from our work with agencies and water stewards across the country, offering practical insights and examples to help others build public trust, justify funding and align with community values.
Start With What People Know and Don’t Know
One of the most powerful tools in making the case for water investments is understanding where your community stands. What do people know about their water systems? What do they value? How much do they trust the agencies managing the infrastructure?
Whether it’s flowing out of a tap or down a local stream, we’ve found that many people take clean water for granted. They don’t know what it takes to deliver it, and they don’t understand the challenges water stewards face. That’s why it’s critical to assess public knowledge, attitudes and behaviors before launching a communications campaign or proposing a rate increase.
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In collaboration with a wastewater utility in the Upper Midwest, we conducted a representative survey to gauge public understanding and values. We asked residents about their behaviors — such as what they put down the drain — and their awareness of water quality impacts. We also used experimental approaches to assess willingness to pay for sustainable practices like recycling biosolids into fertilizer and using renewable natural gas to power operations.
The results were compelling. Residents said they would pay about $80 more per year to support these initiatives. That data gave the utility a powerful story to tell and a foundation for future engagement.
Use Representative Data
When collecting data, representation matters. Social media polls and online surveys can be useful for feedback, which also provides an opportunity to get the message out in the community about the essential services that utilities provide. However, these approaches can yield biased results at times depending on the breadth of participation and whether it was representative of the service area. For decisions that affect millions of dollars and long-term infrastructure, randomized surveys with a defined sampling frame can provide more robust and confident results.
Again, in the Upper Midwest, we worked with a polling firm to use random digit dialing for a telephone-based questionnaire with a live researcher and included an option to receive a text with an online survey link if preferred. This approach generated geographically and demographically representative responses, and allowed us to segment audiences, compare groups and tailor messages based on what different stakeholders cared about. It also gave the utility confidence that their outreach efforts were grounded in valid data, not assumptions or the limited views of the loudest voices.
Audience segmentation is especially valuable when crafting communication strategies. Knowing which groups prioritize sustainability, economic growth or affordability helps water stewards speak to those values directly.
Monetize Benefits and Calculate Returns With the Right Tools
When justifying investments in water infrastructure, we often rely on direct metrics like return on investment and cost savings. These are essential, especially when speaking to boards and elected officials. But they’re not the whole story.
Other metrics such as environmental restoration, recreational opportunities and quality of life improvements can be just as persuasive. To capture the full value of water investments, we use specialized tools like multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA), Sustainable Return on Investment (SROI) and economic impact assessment (EIA).
- MCDA embeds non-financial factors into capital planning, helping leaders evaluate alternatives and communicate tradeoffs clearly.
- SROI extends traditional benefit-cost analysis to include long-term impacts and externalities like ecosystem services and public health improvements.
- EIA assesses macroeconomic effects, such as job growth and increased demand for local goods and services.
These approaches help water stewards move beyond a least-cost mindset toward value-based decisions that reflect community priorities.
For example, in Springfield, Missouri, the city used SROI to evaluate nearly 20 alternatives. The SROI process evaluated the entire scope of potential costs and benefits while simultaneously incorporating a risk analysis component. The SROI not only captures the full life-cycle costs of investments but also captures external triple bottom line impacts, such as improved water quality, habitat enhancements and recreational benefits. The Springfield results helped prioritize stream restoration and trash capture in stormwater systems, enabling compliance with federal regulations and enhancing community well-being. With data to back up the benefits, the utility made a compelling case for the far-reaching investment and moved forward with confidence.
The three tools mentioned above are not the only tools available in our Value of Water approach. In fact, justifying a water infrastructure investment often requires a tailored mix of tools to support informed decisions.
By leveraging the right combination of tools, water stewards can demonstrate the full value of infrastructure investments, capturing fiscal, environmental, and social returns to build stakeholder support and move projects forward with confidence.
Communicate in Terms People Understand
One of the biggest communication challenges is translating technical details into relatable messages. People don’t always understand capital improvement plans, rate structures or infrastructure lifecycles. But they do understand quality of life, reliability and fairness.
In New Orleans, we helped the Sewerage and Water Board gamify the development of its ten-year CIP to invite informed conversation about an unpopular rate increase proposal. Employees and board members used Mardi Gras doubloons to allocate funding to different priorities, each with a dollar-sign rating. This hands-on exercise helped participants see where the money from a rate increase would go, what investments accomplished for them and how the rate decision would affect system reliability.
The result? Greater understanding, buy-in and even employee volunteers who wanted to facilitate public workshops. By starting internally and building momentum, the Sewerage and Water Board laid the groundwork for broader engagement.
Build Relationships Before You Need Them
Trust isn’t built overnight. One of the most common mistakes agencies make is waiting until they need a rate increase to start communicating. By then, it’s often too late.
Instead, we recommend ongoing engagement. Share updates, celebrate successes and be transparent about challenges. In Johnson County, Kansas, we helped the wastewater utility conduct community surveys to prioritize projects based on public values. They used the results to shape their capital prioritization and integrated planning process. They also pulled resident quotes onto banners, which now hang in treatment plants and operations centers. These tangible reminders not only validate the utility’s work but also instill pride in the workforce.
Transparency is key. When water stewards openly share their challenges, like deferred maintenance or rising costs, they build empathy and understanding. People are more willing to support investments when they know what’s at stake.
Tailor Messages to Each Audience
Different stakeholders care about different things. City councils may focus on bond ratings and fiscal responsibility. Boards may prioritize organizational sustainability. The general public may care most about service reliability and environmental impact.
That’s why it’s important to tailor messages. Use the data points that matter to each group. For elected officials, highlight how investments align with strategic plans and community goals. For customers, show how dollars translate into tangible benefits, like fewer main breaks, cleaner streams or continued growth.
Affordability and acceptability are two sides of the same coin. While affordability is a very real challenge, particularly for low-income customers, rate increases are often thwarted because of acceptability of the proposed increases. People may be able to afford a rate increase, but they won’t accept it unless they see the value. As one analogy goes, no one wants to pay $6 for gas station coffee. But they might pay that, or more, for a handcrafted latte created by barista they trust. The audience must understand what they’re getting before they can assign a value to it.
Align with Community Values
Every community is different. In Wisconsin, sustainability was a top priority. In North Carolina, we’ve seen growth and development as key drivers. And in Tucson, Arizona, water scarcity shaped public attitudes and made rate increases less important.
Understanding local context is essential. We often create equity atlases or community profiles to map infrastructure, demographics and public health data. These tools help water stewards identify where investments can make the greatest impact and tell compelling stories about why they matter.
For example, in Los Angeles County, we supported water and wastewater rate increases by tying investments to community benefits. The utility made its data public, demonstrating transparency and accountability. That kind of openness builds trust and supports long-term planning.
Measure Impact Over Time
Finally, we encourage water stewards to measure impact not just once but regularly. Sentiment surveys, stakeholder interviews and behavioral assessments can track changes in public trust, awareness and support.
Anne Arundel County, Maryland, conducts sentiment surveys every two years to monitor trust, communication channels and key issues. This baseline data informs their organizational and programmatic engagement strategies and helps them adapt to changing customer preferences and needs.
Behavioral assessments can identify areas where small changes in behavior could have big impacts. For instance, pouring grease down the drain is not good for wastewater infrastructure. Designing interventions based on behavioral research helps water stewards achieve goals without massive capital or operational investments.
Communicate the Value of Water With Confidence
Our Value of Water framework is more than a philosophy — it’s a practical approach to making smarter, more impactful decisions. By combining engineering, economics, behavioral science and strategic communications, we can help water stewards move from reactive to proactive, from least-cost to high-value, and from skepticism to support.
Water infrastructure may be invisible, but its value is undeniable. With the right data, tools and messaging, we can help your stakeholders see that. If you’d like to explore how our Value of Water approach could support your efforts, please email us at water [at] hdrinc.com (water[at]hdrinc[dot]com).
