AWWA IMTECH64713

This slide presentation outlines customer communication needs at Park Water Company on notification about planned activities that impact the community such as: unidirectional flushing (UDF), clean out sediments from pipes; service interruptions for maintenance or new installation; inspection visits; and, notifications on billing procedures (possible double billing). Additional "innovative" notification was sought to improve the current customer notification such as: quicker response time to customers; allow PWC to remotely contact MORE customers QUICKLY; select, with more detail, the customers being impacted by a planned activity for a notification via telephone; overall, we wanted to accentuate the current "Door Hanger" with semi-direct contact with the customer. Key challenges included: slow, unwieldy emergency communication processes; labor-intensive and costly customer service; and, very little flexibility to change scheduled maintenance/ service interruption windows. PWC chose the 3n mass notification system to meet its stringent requirements which includes the ability to: send public safety alerts and maintenance notices to customers in affected areas in minutes; contact residents on any communication device, including home phones, cell phones, pagers, email, and more; and, guarantee messaging capabilities during any emergency. Further topics outlined include: how mass notification works; PWC implementation of the 3n System; and, Geo-Notification.