Figure 1: Denver Water’s Six Audience Segments for Climate Change Information Abt Global worked with Denver Water to identify how their customers respond to messages regarding climate change.

In their annual customer satisfaction survey, Denver Water included four questions that were written by Abt as part of a nationally representative survey for the 2014 Water Research Foundation report “Effective Climate Change Communication Strategies for Water Utility Stakeholders.”

Abt created a data-based audience segmentation analysis from the responses (Figure 1) that indicated that 96 percent of Denver Water customers support the utility preparing for climate change and want Denver Water to tell them what they are doing to prepare.

Only 4 percent of Denver Water customers – the “pessimist” group – did not increase their understanding, trust, and support of Denver Water when given messages regarding the implications of climate change on community water.
Denver Water will use the information to develop an outreach program for their long-term water supply plan.