I’m writing this on the heels of an atmospheric river that has caused flooding, sewage spills, and landslides in my home state of Oregon, in a year when Water Hub colleagues have experienced both a hurricane and catastrophic wildfire. So it’s no wonder we’re thinking a lot about disaster preparedness currently, but affordability, data centers, equity messaging, and the changing political and media landscape are also top of mind. Here’s a look at how the Water Hub responded to current events and perennial challenges this year, and a preview of our 2026 priorities:
Visual storytelling
- Mini documentaries about Martin County KY and Laredo TX (this one is bilingual!) explaining the causes and solutions for crumbling water systems and rising rates
- Green Solutions Spotlight showcasing a New Orleans project that turned a vacant lot into a gathering space that also soaks up rain and runoff
- Influencer video highlighting the benefits of nature-based flood solutions in Houston, and resident audiograms
- Experimenting with edutainment: Planet Beaver and The Bloom
Media briefings and press placements
- Media briefing on storm preparedness in the South, sparking stories in ABC and Axios, and issue briefing about water impacts of the data center boom
- Univision stories on nature-based flood solutions and drought preparedness
- Color of Water members featured in stories from Associated Press and Washington Post to Utah Public Radio and Outside Magazine
Communications tools and training
- Messaging: bridging divides, building support for disaster resilience, and messaging water equity when DEI is cancelled
- Digital: defusing disinformation and working with online influencers
- Utility-Community communications guide co-created with Junction Coalition and Rogue Water
Frontline partner support
- Resident videos, petition drive, and news coverage pushing for flood solutions in Atlanta
- Explainer video, Univision story (which included a clip from our explainer video!), and short reels educating voters about the stakes of Texas Proposition 4, which ended up passing with 70% of the vote
- Resident audiograms urging action to prevent sewage spills in Houston
- Narrative change toolkit, developed for and with the Water Equity and Climate Resilience Caucus
Looking ahead to our 2026 water communications priorities
- Continuing to scale our work with online influencers, including working to fund and launch a Water Creator Council
- Synthesizing existing polling and message testing to identify gaps and inform our 2026 research plans, which will likely focus on equity, and how best to connect the dots from healthy watersheds to safe and affordable drinking water and disaster-prepared communities
- Working with partners to identify the shared infrastructure we need to strengthen coordination across the water movement, and elevate water in the public consciousness
Thank you for your partnership this year, and we’re looking forward to getting to collaborate with even more water champions in the year ahead.
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