Water Utility Software Helps ‘Avoid Another Flint Disaster’

WaterSmart Software has launched a suite of communication and segmentation tools to help water utilities better communicate drinking water quality to their customers.

WaterSmart eQuality is designed to make drinking water quality easily understandable to all residents, with a focus on building trust with disadvantaged communities that are often most affected by public health issues related to water quality. WaterSmart eQuality also helps communicate the ongoing value of water utility investments in providing a safe and reliable water supply, the company says.

“The lack of transparency around the current crisis in Flint, Michigan has made a bad situation worse, underscoring the need for better communication about drinking water quality,” said Robin Gilthorpe, WaterSmart CEO. “While utilities are required to inform their citizens of water quality, current reporting is arcane and inadequate. WaterSmart eQuality is designed to make water quality clear, concise and compelling, providing a valuable tool for utilities to engage with all of their customers.”

Water utilities are required by the EPA to issue annual consumer confidence reports (CCRs) that provide detailed information on water quality testing, contaminant levels, and adherence to federal quality standards. However, these reports are highly technical, challenging to decipher and usually difficult to find on municipal websites.

WaterSmart eQuality reports are specifically designed to help communities intuitively understand water quality information across their preferred communication channels, including web, mobile, text, voice and print. WaterSmart eQuality helps customers locate key information about water quality, better understand acceptable contaminant levels, learn about quality testing services and ascertain related information regarding ongoing water treatment investments. In the event of water contamination or boil notices, WaterSmart eQuality enables water utilities to proactively engage with their customers about remediation efforts.

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