SCV Water received a statewide award from the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO) for its ongoing communication efforts surrounding per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals.

This marks the first award for the Agency’s communications efforts.

“We are pleased to receive an CAPIO award for our PFAS outreach efforts,” said SCV Water’s Assistant General Manager Steve Cole. “Our customers are our top priority, and we are committed to clear and timely communication with our customers about all water quality changes and how we plan to address them.”

SCV Water took home a CAPIO Excellence in Public Information and Communication (EPIC) Award of Distinction in the Crisis Communications category for its effective, ongoing management of PFAS outreach. The multi-year strategy for customer and stakeholder engagement across multiple communication platforms included legislative policy development, community meetings, media relations, collateral development, website, video, social media and direct mail.

The CAPIO EPIC Awards are presented annually by CAPIO to honor outstanding public agency information and communications programs. This year’s award submissions were judged by the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers (TAMIO).

“We’ve been hard at work not only looking for ways to test and treat our water for PFAS, but also communicating with our customers every step of the way,” said SCV Water’s PIO Kathie Martin. “It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized for our efforts by a well-respected association.”

CAPIO is the leading statewide organization dedicated to advancing public-sector communicators and has more than 700 members. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of manmade chemicals that are prevalent in the environment and were commonly used in industrial and consumer products to repel grease, moisture, oil, water and stains. Water agencies do not put these chemicals into the water, but over time very small amounts enter the water supplies through manufacturing, wastewater discharge and product use. Exposure to these chemicals may cause adverse health effects.

For more information and resources on PFAS, visit yourSCVwater.com/pfas.

About SCV Water:
The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency (SCV Water) is a full-service regional water agency located in the Santa Clarita Valley. SCV Water provides water service to approximately 74,000 business and residential customers. It was formed on January 1, 2018, when local water suppliers combined into one integrated, regional water provider. More information can be found at www.yourSCVwater.com.

For more information, please contact Kathie Martin, public information officer for SCV Water, at kmartin@scvwa.org.