AWWA SOURCES55666

The approach and results of a major public participation project to educate the Las Vegas Valley in various aspects of direct and indirect reuse are discussed in this paper. The public involvement program was started to educate the various publics, i.e., the representative public, the organizational public, the economically concerned public and the general public that may be affected by reuse projects in Las Vegas. The public involvement program expanded beyond the indirect potable reuse to the use of reclaimed water for net environmental benefit. The program started with the development of a list of potentially affected interests and their characteristics. The programs charted the change in the public's attitude as the implementation of public involvement techniques were used to gain the informed consent for water reclamation on a large scale. This paper discusses important public involvement issues such as common public responses and actions, public agencies' mission, the role of values in the decision-making process and agencies being responsive versus responsible. It lists criteria for defining the scope and determining the program's objectives that includes: involve the public in the problem solving process and evaluate the project from their view; solicit public perceptions and questions regarding the project; provide quick, candid, understandable answers to the public's questions and become their most reliable source of information; provide the public with facts about the project in plain language; identify the public's concerns and misunderstandings and include those in the evaluation process; and, achieve the public's informed consent for the project.

Product Details

Edition:

Vol. - No.

Published:

01/01/2002

Number of Pages:

4

File Size:

1 file , 230 KB