Taking Back the Tap, Miami Dade Style

You might not expect a municipal water utility to run an ad campaign touting its water as “natural, pure, cool, clean, clear.” But that is exactly what the Miami Dade Water and Sewer Department (MDWSD), one of the largest public utilities in the nation, is doing in its countywide campaign aimed at restoring people‚ faith in their tap water.  The department, which serves over 416,000 homes and businesses, hopes to save citizens money, help the environment, and most importantly create a sense of public awareness about water use and management.

An earlier series of radio ads, intended to convince the public that tap water is better than bottled water, got the MDWSD into hot water with Nestlé corporation, which was trying to bottle water near Miami at the time.  After Nestlé threatened to sue, Miami Dade Water and Sewer simply focused its ads on boasting the tap water‚ quality and cleanliness.  What the MDWSD seems to have understood in putting together its “Only Tap Water Delivers” campaign is that the marketing myths of the bottled water industry undermine public confidence in tap water.

With help from the American Water Works Association (AWWA), Miami Dade has been able to produce an entire campaign to promote the spigot.  Along with NPR radio ads, the campaign has been utilizing bus-stop benches, Metrorail cars, billboards, and even movie theatres to carry the message near and far that in Miami Dade County, only tap delivers.  They even take the steamy sexual overtones of the South Beach image, a staple in Miami, to its comical conclusion: flyers sporting the question, “How often have you turned me on?” in the shadow of a running faucet.

This campaign couldn’t have been timed any better, considering what‚ at stake for Florida.  The Southwest Florida Water Management District has stated that within the next 15 to 20 years, southern areas of the state will need new sources of water. Recently, the MDWSD has been combating drought by running a Use Less campaign and website,  which encourages using water wisely and efficiently.  But the lingering question is if water conservation will be enough for South Florida and the rest of the state to address its water needs.

Many argue that the contentious Everglades Land Purchase, aimed at protecting and restoring the wetlands around Lake Okeechobee, is a simply a measure to ensure water resources for Miami Dade County in the near future.  Right now, the lake is a backup water source that has been hit hard by major droughts in the area.  Many are still wary of how the purchase will turn out.

Floridians have many reasons to question how their water resources are being managed.  Case in point: the Tampa bay area.  After a disappointing desalination plant and the failing C.W. Young Reservoir, water management in this large city on the coast has raised a small army of skeptics. Miami Dade County is hoping to build a good reputation as it moves into a period that will have many water challenges.  Let‚ hope that MDWSD continues to deliver on its advertisement promises.