SCV Water ongoing communication efforts surrounding per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) chemicals were honored with a PRism Award from the Public Relations Society of America – Los Angeles Chapter (PRSA-LA).

“We’re honored that our ongoing outreach surrounding PFAS was recognized with this prestigious award,” said SCV Water’s General Manager Matt Stone. “Our customers come first, and we’re committed to timely and transparent communication about how we are restoring their water quality.”

SCV Water took home a PRism award in the Crisis Communications – Government Category. 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.

PRSA-LA’s PRism Awards are presented annually to honor the best in Los Angeles-area communications. All entries were judged by a sister PRSA chapter to provide an unbiased evaluation and scoring of each submission. All finalists had to meet rigorous research, planning, implementation and evaluation standards that emphasize the hallmarks of effective public relations and outreach.

This marks SCV Water’s second award for its PFAS outreach following this summer’s state-wide award from the California Association of Public Information Officials.

“We’re communicating with our customers on this important issue 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 national association.”

PRSA is the nation’s leading professional organization serving the public relations and communications community and boasts more than 100 chapters across the U.S. The organization’s Los Angeles Chapter is one of the largest chapters, representing more than 500 communications professionals in Southern California.

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, contact Kathie Martin SCV Water’s public information officer, at kmartin@scvwa.org.