The San Diego County Water Authority reports it was recently honored with two Awards of Distinction from the California Public Information Officers, a professional industry group. The awards for government outreach campaigns are named EPIC, an acronym for Excellence in Public Information and Communication.
The San Diego County Water Authority received two Awards of Distinction for outreach programs at the 2023 California Public Information Officers (CAPIO) “EPIC Awards” competition for California public agency communication programs.
The San Diego County Water Authority received two Awards of Distinction for outreach programs at the 2023 California Association of Public Information Officers (CAPIO) “EPIC Awards” competition for California public agency communication programs.
The Water Authority’s “Faces of the Water Industry” public outreach campaign created by Public Affairs Representative Andrea Mora won in the Social Media category.
Judges said, “This campaign is organized and includes measurable data in the planning and results. The team executed well and set a great example of what a social campaign should look like.”
“There are so many exciting career opportunities in the water and wastewater industry,” said Mora. “I enjoyed putting my skills to work showcasing the featured professionals and encouraging people to learn more about these jobs.”
The Water Authority’s “Faces of the Water Industry” public outreach campaign created by Public Affairs Representative Andrea Mora won its CAPIO Award of Distinction in the Social Media category.
The “Water Smart Living” series of articles created by Water Resources Specialist Joni German and also published as a public service by Times of San Diego won its award in the Writing category. The judges observed, “Remarkable work here. Water conservation is a tough sell, even when it’s clearly a problem. Very well done!” and added “Great real world results!”
Water Resources Specialist Joni German (L) and Public Affairs Representative Andrea Mora (R) with CAPIO Awards of Distinction for San Diego County Water Authority outreach programs. Photo: San Diego County Water Authority
“We work hard to find new and engaging ways to help inform San Diego County residents on ways they can contribute to water conservation,” said German. “We’re grateful to Times of San Diego for giving us a platform to reach their readers.”
The CAPIO EPIC Awards recognize the “best of the best” in government communications throughout the state. Winning entries demonstrate the most creative and effective efforts in the areas of communication and marketing campaigns, newsletter production, photography, special events, writing, website development, and video production.
The EPIC Awards honor work that made a lasting impact, providing an equal chance of winning to all entrants regardless of company or agency size and project budget. Entries are assessed on research and planning efforts which display an understanding of audience objectives and needs for information; development and execution; and how successfully the entrant organization achieves its objectives.
The Water Authority is a previous CAPIO EPIC Award winner for its “Drought Safe San Diego” public outreach campaign for Communication or Marketing Plans/Campaigns – In-House; and an Award of Distinction for Video Production – Promotional – In House; and also an EPIC award winner for Water News Network in the Websites category.
The San Diego Press Club has named Water News Network Best Public Service Website for five straight years.
For the fifth consecutive year, the Water Authority’s news portal Water News Network won first place as the Best Public Service or Consumer Advocacy Website in the 49th annual San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards. The award was among seven awards for WNN, including recognition for Environmental Writing, General News, and Series – Light Subject.
Joni German won second place in the Series – Light Subject, Online and Daily News category for WNN’s “WaterSmart Living Series.”
Senior Public Affairs Representative Ed Joyce received two second-place awards in two categories for original reporting: Online and Daily newspapers: Environment, for “California Drought Now in Third Year” and Online and Daily newspapers: General News, for “Pure Water Oceanside Provides New Local Supply of Drinking Water.”
Public Affairs Representative Kimberlyn Velasquez was awarded an honorable mention for Photography/Video in the Feature-Light Subject category for her video, “Hauck Mesa Storage Reservoir Moving to Completion,” which was included in a WNN story on the project.
The San Diego Press Club honors the region’s best communicators in media each year at the Excellence in Journalism Awards.
In November, the Water Authority outreach program, “Drought Safe San Diego,” won a Silver Award of Excellence at the annual Public Relations Society of America, San Diego-Imperial Counties chapter 2022 Edward L. Bernays Awards.
The San Diego County Water Authority received two awards at the 2022 California Association of Public Information Officers (CAPIO) EPIC Awards competition for California public agency communication programs.
The Water Authority’s “Drought Safe San Diego” public outreach campaign won an EPIC Award (first place) for Communications or Marketing Plans/Campaigns – In-House; and an Award of Distinction for Video Production – Promotional – In House.
The San Diego County Water Authority received two awards at the 2022 California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) EPIC Awards competition for California public agency communication programs.
The Water Authority’s “Drought Safe San Diego” public outreach campaign won an EPIC Award (first place) for Communications or Marketing Plans/Campaigns – In-House; and an Award of Distinction for Video Production – Promotional – In House.
Judges called the overall campaign effort very impressive. “A thorough campaign. Impressive numbers to back up the messaging. Definitely great work and the campaign achieved its goal.”
Judges praised the use of Switchfoot’s Jon Foreman and popular San Diego iHeartMedia radio personalities to connect with the community and highlight critically important conservation messages.
“Great backstory. I really like this campaign. this one really helped me understand that the improvements made were helping capacity, but that there was still a strong need to conserve.”
“Loved the thorough planning process you put into this project. Great use of influencers. Great campaign and kudos to SDC Water Authority for thinking ahead.”
The Water Authority’s outreach effort drew significant national media attention, including the New York Times. Photo: New York Times/screenshot
The CAPIO EPIC Awards recognize the “best of the best” in government communications throughout the state. Winning entries demonstrate the most creative and effective efforts in communication and marketing campaigns, newsletter production, photography, special events, writing, website development, and video production.
The EPIC Awards honor work that made a lasting impact, providing an equal chance of winning to all entrants regardless of company or agency size and project budget. Entries are assessed on research and planning efforts which display an understanding of audience objectives and needs for information; development and execution; and how successfully the entrant organization achieves its objectives.
“Drought-Safe San Diego” also received an Award of Excellence at the 2022 APEX Awards. APEX 22 recognizes excellence in publishing by professional communicators. The campaign was honored in “Campaigns, Programs, and Plans – Public Service.” APEX 22 received more than 1,200 entries worldwide in 14 categories.
The Water Authority is a previous CAPIO EPIC Award winner in the Website category for the Water News Network, which has also won the Best Public Service or Consumer Advocacy Website category for four years in a row from the San Diego Press Club Journalism Awards.
(Editor’s note: The San Diego County Water Authority sustains a $240 billion regional economy and the quality of life for 3.3 million residents through a multi-decade water supply diversification plan, major infrastructure investments and forward-thinking policies that promote fiscal and environmental responsibility. The Water Authority works closely with its 24 member agencies to provide safe, reliable water service to the region.)
The Water News Network was honored with awards from several organizations recently, including the Public Relations Society of America.
On November 18, the WNN received a Bronze Bernays Award of Merit in the websites category from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) San Diego/Imperial County chapter. It is the second consecutive year the WNN website has received this award.
The Bronze Bernays Merit award in Websites goes to San Diego County Water Authority for the "Water News Network." @sdcwa #BolderBrighterBetter #Bernays2021 pic.twitter.com/SCw3lqWfdD
— PRSA SanDiego/IC (@PRSAsandiego) November 18, 2021
Now in its fourth year of operation, the WNN is recognized as a reliable source of factual information upholding the standards of journalism to provide news about the water and wastewater industry to the San Diego region and the Southwest United States.
In October, the WNN website was awarded first place as the Best Public Service or Consumer Advocacy Website by the San Diego Press Club. It is the fourth consecutive year the WNN has received this honor.
Water News Network staff also received three awards from the San Diego Press Club in 2021:
The Water News Network was given an EPIC Award in 2020 as the Best California Public Agency Website by CAPIO (California Public Information Officers Organization). CAPIO EPIC Awards recognize the “best of the best” in government communications throughout the state.
The Water News Network specializes in covering water and wastewater industry stories in the San Diego County region, focusing on the people and projects that ensure a safe, reliable and plentiful water supply flows to the region’s 3.3 million residents and its $253 billion economy.
(Editor’s note: News about the water and wastewater industry published in the Water News Network would not be possible without the contributions from the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies, that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
The San Diego County Water Authority and three of its member agencies were recognized Dec. 17 by the Public Relations Society of America San Diego/Imperial Counties chapter for outstanding work in public outreach and education efforts.
The 2020 PRSA Bernays Awards were presented for communication on a variety of platforms, all designed to inform stakeholders and ratepayers about initiatives ensuring a safe and reliable water supply. Awards were presented virtually via live Twitter feed.
The Silver Bernays Award of Merit for “Engaging Hispanics on Water Quality Issues.” Photo: PRSA SD/IC
The Water Authority received the Silver Bernays Award of Merit for Multicultural Public Relations for “Engaging Hispanics on Water Quality Issues,” and a Bronze Award of Merit in the Research/Evaluation category for “Researching Themes for Hispanic Outreach for Water Quality.” The agency’s Water News Network received a Bronze Award of Merit in the Websites category.
Earlier this year, the Water News Network was named “Best Website” among California public agencies in the California Association of Public Information Officials EPIC Awards competition. The website was also awarded first place as “Best Public Service or Consumer Advocacy Website” in the 2020 San Diego Press Club Journalism Awards.
“During the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was more important than ever for the Water Authority to intensify its efforts to communicate with our audiences and assure them that the virus was not transmitted through the public water system and the essential work to provide a safe, reliable water supply continued without interruption,” said Denise Vedder, director of the Water Authority’s Public Affairs Department. “In partnership with our member agencies, the Water News Network and our Hispanic outreach initiative played a key role in achieving this goal, and it is rewarding to be recognized by PRSA San Diego/Imperial Counties chapter for those results.”
Padre Dam Municipal Water District and the cities of San Diego and Oceanside also received awards for outreach and education programs.
Oceanside employees Carlos Raymundo (front right) and Shawn Alonzo view the Pure Water Oceanside wall art project. Photo: City of Oceanside
The City of Oceanside and NV5 Inc. recognized in three categories for Pure Water Oceanside:
Silver Award of Excellence, Campaigns: Events and Observances – Less Than Seven Days – “Pure Water Oceanside is on the Map!”
Bronze Award of Merit, Creative Tactics – “Wall Art Tells Story of Water’s Past, Present, & Future”
Bronze Award of Merit, Video – “Pure Water Oceanside Video”
“The City of Oceanside is proud to put Pure Water Oceanside on the map,” said Cari Dale, water utilities director, City of Oceanside. “Once complete, Pure Water Oceanside will provide more than 30% of Oceanside’s water supply. Our staff and consultants are dedicated to providing Oceanside with innovative solutions to water reliability and continued water reuse education.”
The City of San Diego, along with Katz & Associates, received a Silver Bernays Award of Merit in Campaigns, Events, and Observances – Less Than Seven Days for its “2020 Pure Water San Diego Virtual Contractor Expo.”
City of San Diego Director of Public Utilities Shauna Lorance welcomes viewers to the new virtual tour. Photo: City of San Diego
“Outreach remains a key element of our Pure Water program,” said Shauna Lorance, director of public utilities for the City of San Diego. “When the pandemic made in-person engagement impossible, our community outreach and project management teams rose to the challenge and implemented a successful 2020 Pure Water Virtual Contractor Expo. Providing the personal outreach to potential contractors allows the contractors to develop the best bids possible and helps ensure a successful Pure Water project.”
The Padre Dam Municipal Water District won a Bronze Award of Excellence for its 2019 Annual Report.
The award-winning Padre Dam Municipal Water District 2019 annual report. Photo: Padre Dam Municipal Water District
“Padre Dam is proud of our communications team for the great thought, creativity, and appreciation of the District’s work that is put into projects like the annual report,” said Melissa McChesney, communications manager for the Padre Dam Municipal Water District. “They do all of this in order to share with our customers the important work and services we provide to our community.”
The SCOOP SD program and Tracks PR received a Silver Bernays Award of Excellence in Campaigns: Events and Observances – Less than Seven Days, Business, and a Bronze Bernays Awards of Merit in Creative Tactics, both for “Sweet Relief for Small Biz During COVID.”
For the third consecutive year, the Water News Network was recognized as the Best Public Service/Consumer Advocacy Website for its public outreach and education by the San Diego Press Club. The website was established by the San Diego County Water Authority to bridge the gap in news coverage of water-related issues affecting the region.
The first place award was announced during the San Diego Press Club’s 47th annual Excellence in Journalism Awards event, which was live streamed from the San Diego Automotive Museum on October 27.
Among the largest annual competitions in the United States, San Diego’s finest reporters, photographers, writers, artists, and communicators were honored with the region’s top awards.
“We’re proud to share this award with our 24 member agencies who provide the majority of the original content on the Water News Network,” said Denise Vedder, public affairs director for the San Diego County Water Authority. “The collaboration with our member agencies and other organizations make possible the timely and accurate information about water issues, projects, and programs that affect 3.3 million people across San Diego County.”
Websites, Public Service or Consumer Advocacy Site: First Place, Water News Network
Online/Daily Newspapers, Wildlife/Nature: Second Place, Water News Network, Ed Joyce, “Cooper’s Hawk Chick Gets Special Handling Near Pipeline 5 Project”
Online/Daily Newspapers, Wildlife/Nature: Third Place, Water News Network, Kristiene Gong, “Wildlife Protected for New Underground Reservoir Project”
Online/Daily Newspapers, Science/Technology/Biotech: Third Place, Water News Network, Ed Joyce, “Baking Skills Used For Repair at Lake Hodges Pumped Storage Facility”
Online/Daily Newspapers, Series – Light Subject: Honorable Mention, Water News Network, Ed Joyce, “Water Utility Hero of the Week”
Online/Daily Newspapers, Environment: Honorable Mention, Water News Network, Ed Joyce, “Water Year 2020 Begins With Robust Reservoir Storage”
Earlier in 2020, the Water News Network was given an EPIC Award as the Best California Public Agency Website by the California Public Information Officers (CAPIO). The CAPIO EPIC Awards recognize the “best of the best” in government communications throughout the state. Winning entries demonstrate the most creative and effective efforts in the areas of communication and marketing campaigns, newsletter production, photography, special events, writing, website development, and video production.
The Water News Network was praised by the CAPIO EPIC Award judges for its initiative in producing original story content with its stakeholders in mind.
This year’s San Diego Press Club awards program drew more than 1,100 entries across multiple media categories. Judges included members of press clubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Rochester (New York), Florida, Cleveland, Orange County, Milwaukee, Tulsa, and Alaska.
“The San Diego Press Club Excellence in Journalism Awards celebrates professionals whose research, writing, reporting, and visual skills shed light on newsworthy topics that matter to us all,” said Albert Fulcher, 2020 San Diego Press Club president. “At a time when many Americans distrust the news media, I am proud of our organization’s 450 members and their commitment to truth and fairness with integrity, high standards, and ethical reporting.”
“I am also proud of our success at uniting journalism and public relations professionals while providing career-enhancing programs and networking opportunities for our members,” said Fulcher.
Two public agencies in San Diego County were recently honored with communications awards by the California Public Information Officers, a statewide professional trade group of communicators from public sector agencies.
The City of San Marcos received CAPIO Epic Awards for its San Marcos Creek Project groundbreaking ceremony, held December 2019, as well as the project’s logo. The San Marcos Creek Project is a three-year, $104 million construction project to raise the roadways and bridges over San Marcos Creek.
“These awards are a testament to the importance we place on keeping our community informed and involved in key infrastructure projects,” said Tess Sangster, economic development director for the City of San Marcos. The city hired JPW Communications to execute communications activities for the San Marcos Creek project.
In addition, the San Diego County Water Authority was honored with an CAPIO Epic Award for its Water News Network website, launched in mid 2018. Judges lauded the website for keeping stakeholders in mind with design and original content and photos. The water authority said stories from the website are picked up by regional news media on a weekly basis, and the percentage of views generated through organic search has increased 454% since inception.
“Over the past two years, the Water News Network has become a timely and reliable source of news and information about a variety of water issues, projects and programs affecting more than 3.3 million across San Diego County,” said Denise Vedder, public affairs director. “We’re proud to collaborate with our member agencies on this and other outreach and education efforts about region’s most precious natural resource.”
The Sweetwater Authority Governing Board on July 22 was presented with the California Association of Public Information Officials Award of Distinction for excellence in public information and communications. The water agency received the award earlier this month for its innovative communication for the Hydro Station Education Experience.
The Water News Network is San Diego County’s source for water news and information.
