WaterSide Chat: Best Practices to Gain Public Support for Rate Increases

. Generating stable revenues is essential for every water utility, and rate increases are often necessary to improve the financial health of the utility. Unfortunately, these increases can attract significant public scrutiny and can derail implementation, further eroding financial health. This WaterSide Chat will showcase recent research from leading water industry consultants, Sapna Mulki and Justin Wallin. Hahn has found that one of the best ways to gain public support for rate increases is through simple messages. Our featured speakers will present on the most persuasive communication methods utilities have successfully used to gain support for rate increases. Sapna Mulki, Director for Water at Hahn Public Communications, will showcase the latest research on the best (and worst) messages to gain support for increasing rates and why they work. Sapna has over 10 years of business development experience with water related projects. She served as the public relations manager for the Vista Ridge project, which is designed to deliver water from the Carrizo-Wilcox aquifer to San Antonio and is one of the largest water pipeline initiatives in the country. Justin Wallin, CMO/COO of Probolsky Research, will present a case study that shows how he has successfully helped utilities increase their rates with over 60% public support. Justin has served as a strategic advisor to public policy, city and municipal governments and Fortune Global 250 companies for over a decade. His research expertise is in water related issues and infrastructure, delivering insight on Californians’ attitudes towards water resources. This July 19th WaterSide Chat showcases how utilities get the rate increases they need by simply using the right words.