AWWA ACE58304

Demographic trends in Southern California have changed the ethnic landscape and transformed the region into a multicultural society. These changes have created new and frequently unrecognized communications challenges for local water utilities. In 1998 Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (Metropolitan), the regional wholesaler of supplemental supplies, initiated the first of a series of consumer research projects to determine the information needs and preferred forms of communications of its changing consumer base. In 2001 Metropolitan rolled out its first communications program specifically targeting Latino consumers and in 2002 developed a pilot program targeting Asian consumers. The research projects and pilot programs have led to greater insights into communicating in a multicultural environment. While consumers may have common concerns about their drinking water independent of ethnicity, ethnic background can influence the reasons consumers have specific beliefs and behaviors and the way in which messages are perceived. Includes 4 references.