Best Practices for Reaching out to Private Well Owners
Wednesday, May 7, 2014: 10:55 a.m.
Blake (Westin Denver Downtown)
Steven D. Wilson
,
Illinois State Water Survey at the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
Jennifer Wilson
,
Illinois Water Resources Center, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
Lucinda Morris
,
Illinois State Water Survey at the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
The Private Well Class is a free, online class for private well owners that has been very successful in reaching out nationwide to both private well owners and to those that serve them. Partners, that include managers of various private well owner outreach and sampling programs from around the country, have also provided insight regarding approaches and practices that have been successful from their own experiences. Applying the information gathered to date about best practices for reaching out to well owners, this presentation will discuss the motivations and factors that influence well owner participation, approaches that are more likely to get well owners engaged in outreach programs, and provide suggested best practices that will lead to a more informed well owner.
Steven D. Wilson, Illinois State Water Survey at the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
Steve Wilson is a groundwater hydrologist at the Illinois State Water Survey at the University of Illinois. He has a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Illinois. Wilson has been involved in numerous groundwater assessment projects dealing with both groundwater quantity and quality issues. He manages SmallWaterSupply.org, which provides free resources and support for small water and wastewater system operators, and PrivateWellClass.org, a free online class for private well owners and very small water systems.
Jennifer Wilson, Illinois Water Resources Center, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
Jennifer Wilson is the lead for SmallWaterSupply.org and PrivateWellClass.org's online communication and social media marketing activities, as well as supporting the website's content development. She brings expertise in developing programs for sustainable small systems with the U.S. EPA's drinking water program as well as experience in marketing public programs, Internet education, and project management. Wilson holds an M.S. in soil and water science from the University of California, Riverside.
Lucinda Morris, Illinois State Water Survey at the Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL
Lucinda Morris is a data and information specialist at the Illinois State Water Survey. She earned her bachelors degree in Earth Systems, Environments, and Societies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, with a focus in earth and atmospheric sciences. Her duties include assisting with a study of public health programs for private well owners to determine best practices for outreach, and assisting with maintaining SmallWaterSupply.org, a website for water and wastewater operators at small systems.
