Websites

ARRA/TWDB

Challenge

When the Texas Water Development Board received $326 million of federal stimulus funds, the agency knew it would come under intense scrutiny from the public, government and media. Accountability is a key part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The TWDB created a website to explain the ARRA program, but it was nine months out of date by the time funds began to be distributed for 45 water and wastewater projects.

The TWDB realized the website needed an urgent overhaul and update so that citizens, funding recipients and lawmakers could easily find information about where the money was going.

Solution

LRPR planned and helped execute an outreach campaign to educate ARRA funding recipients about the requirements involved in using such funds. The campaign included development of a recipient handbook, PowerPoint presentation and site visits with question-and-answer sessions.

After coordinating the road show, LRPR helped revamp the TWDB ARRA "sitelet," a smaller site within the main TWDB website. An interactive map and engaging graphics were created to show how ARRA funds are being used. The interactive map zooms into each location to show details of over 100 construction projects: contract details, estmated completion dates and in many cases, photographs. Bar graphs display the amount of funds released and the number of jobs funded.

The web site also gives the Environmental Protection Agency direct access to metrics on individual projects, an innovation that won plaudits from EPA for streamlining the reporting process. Online access to up-to-date information saves time and money for the Texas Water Development Board and EPA.

Result

The ARRA-TWDB website began as a text-heavy and hard-to-navigate site. We revamped it into an easy-to-use and informative site that set a new standard for state accountability to EPA and taxpayers about how stimulus funds are being used. It provides timely information to the public on the progress of water projects across the state, and the Texas Water Development Board's dispensation of stimulus funds.

The EPA applauded the online reporting process for its ability to streamline access to timely data.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Challenge

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality wanted to widen participation among public water systems in its Source Water Assessment and Protection program. The agency knew that the amount of time required to join the program was holding some systems back from participation.

Solution

TCEQ selected a team led by Atkins (formerly PBS&J) and including Laura Raun Public Relations to reach out to public water systems, assisting them in joining the SWAP program. An online registration tool was seen as an ideal way to streamline the process of joining the program.

LRPR led the development of SWAP Webtool (http://swaptexas.org/webtool.php) that was designed to streamline the process of joining the program. Laura Raun demonstrated the Webtool to public water systems from across the state during the TCEQ’s 2011 Public Drinking Water conference.

Results

The Atkins team assisted 23 public water systems in joining the SWAP program during 2011, which was more than twice as many as another team assisted during a entire 3–year period.