Water Projects Win or Lose in the Community, Not the Courtroom
The technical case for a water project is rarely what determines its outcome. Projects stall — or fail entirely — because of opposition that organized before the proponent did, because rate communications were handled poorly, or because the community never understood why the project was necessary. We chart the strategic communications path early, build the coalition that can sustain the project through opposition, and make sure the public case is as strong as the engineering case.
Permitting Communications and Public Involvement
Federal and state water project permitting — NEPA environmental impact statements, Section 404 permits, state water rights proceedings — all carry public involvement requirements. We help project proponents meet those requirements while building genuine public understanding and support, not just checking the regulatory box. Our work on the Northern Integrated Supply Project culminated in a federal Clean Water Act Section 404 Record of Decision in 2022. On the Lake Powell Pipeline, we generated more than 1,000 federal EIS support letters despite well-funded opposition.
Construction Communications and Stakeholder Engagement
Construction is when public support erodes fastest. Traffic disruptions, noise, property impacts, and schedule changes all generate friction. We develop construction communications programs that keep affected communities informed, manage expectations honestly, and maintain the goodwill the project earned during permitting. Our construction communications work spans Bois d'Arc Lake, Lake Ralph Hall, the Southern Delivery System, and the Gross Reservoir expansion — projects ranging from $800 million to more than a billion dollars.
Water Rate and Cost Communications
Rate increases are among the most politically sensitive communications challenges a water utility faces. We help utilities explain the connection between infrastructure investment and rate changes in terms that ratepayers can understand and accept — not just tolerate. Our approach is built on transparency: what the project costs, why it is necessary, and what happens if it does not get built.
Water Contamination and Crisis Response
Sigler has worked on more than 40 groundwater contamination sites nationwide. We have managed boil-water notices, PFAS and VOC contamination disclosures, lead service line replacement programs, and emerging contaminant communications. When a water quality issue becomes public, the first 24 hours determine whether the utility is seen as transparent and competent or evasive and reactive. We help utilities get that right.
Public Education and Conservation
We launched the first statewide public education campaign in Colorado on the value of water — an award-winning program that educated the public on conservation, water quality, and civic engagement on water issues. We have worked with the green industry for more than two decades on wise water use in landscapes. Public education is not a soft add-on; it is the foundation of long-term public support for water investment.
Areas of Experience
What we bring to the engagement.
- —Water project permitting support and public involvement
- —Water infrastructure siting and community relations
- —Water project cost and rate communications
- —Construction communications and stakeholder updates
- —Water conservation public education campaigns
- —Water quality and stormwater education
- —Water utility branding and positioning
- —Public involvement on water resource plans
- —Water contamination crisis communications (VOCs, PFAS, lead)
- —Boil-water notice and service disruption communications
- —Coalition building and ally network development
- —Federal EIS and regulatory comment period support
- —Ballot measure and bond communications
- —Bilingual community outreach
- —Biosolids and operations communications
Representative Work
Projects that demonstrate the practice.
Colorado Springs Utilities
Southern Delivery System — $825M Water Pipeline
Multi-year communications program from permitting through construction and operations. Completed on time to the exact day projected and $160 million under budget. AWWA Public Communications Achievement Award 2014.
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North Texas Municipal Water District
Bois d'Arc Lake — First New Texas Reservoir in 30 Years
Construction communications for a $1 billion reservoir in Fannin County — managing community relations, media, and stakeholder engagement through a multi-year build.
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Upper Trinity Regional Water District
Lake Ralph Hall — Construction Communications
Strategic communications and public engagement for one of Texas's biggest water projects in nearly 30 years, with support from more than 35 local organizations.
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Northern Water
Northern Integrated Supply Project — Long-Term Public Affairs
Multi-year public affairs support culminating in a federal Clean Water Act Section 404 Record of Decision in 2022. Serving nearly half a million Front Range residents.
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Denver Water
Gross Reservoir Expansion — Largest in Denver Water History
Stakeholder engagement and strategic communications for the largest infrastructure investment in Denver Water's history — 80+ organizations pitched, 25 articles placed.
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Utah Division of Water Resources
Lake Powell Pipeline — Public Affairs & Community Support
Sustained public affairs program for a several-billion-dollar water infrastructure project in southern Utah. More than 1,000 federal EIS support letters despite well-funded opposition.
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Security Water and Sanitation District
Security Water District — PFC Contamination Response
Crisis communications for a water district facing PFC contamination — transparent public education that maintained high customer confidence while interim solutions were implemented in record time.
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Castle Pines North Metro District
Castle Pines — Infrastructure Upgrade Communications
Full-service communications management for a Colorado water and wastewater district upgrading aging infrastructure — rate communications, construction impacts, and crisis preparedness.
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Common Questions
Answers to questions we hear often.
What does a water infrastructure communications firm do?
A water infrastructure communications firm helps water utilities, water districts, and water project developers manage the public affairs, community relations, and media relations work that large water projects require. This includes stakeholder engagement, coalition building, rate communications, public involvement processes required by federal and state regulators, and crisis communications when water quality issues arise.
How does Sigler help water utilities with rate communications?
We help utilities explain the connection between infrastructure investment and rate changes clearly and honestly. The goal is not to sell a rate increase — it is to give ratepayers the information they need to understand why the investment is necessary and what the alternative would cost. Utilities that communicate transparently about rates face less opposition than those that do not.
Does Sigler handle water contamination communications?
Yes. We have worked on more than 40 groundwater contamination sites nationwide and have managed boil-water notices, PFAS disclosures, lead service line replacement programs, and other water quality crises. We also have a FEMA Advanced PIO and NIMS-certified practitioner on staff with direct experience managing water utility emergencies.
What is the Southern Delivery System?
The Southern Delivery System (SDS) was an $825 million water infrastructure project for Colorado Springs Utilities — 50 miles of pipe, three pump stations, and a water treatment plant requiring more than 400 permits and approvals. Sigler was retained in 2007 and supported communications from permitting through construction and into operations. SDS was completed on time to the exact day projected and $160 million under budget. It received the AWWA Public Communications Achievement Award in 2014.
What is the Lake Powell Pipeline project?
The Lake Powell Pipeline is a proposed several-billion-dollar water infrastructure project that would move water from the Colorado River at Lake Powell to southern Utah — one of the fastest-growing regions in the country. Sigler was retained to develop and execute a sustained public affairs and community support program for the Utah Division of Water Resources and the Washington County Water Conservancy District. Despite well-organized opposition, the project secured more than 1,000 support letters during the federal EIS process.
Can Sigler help with water project permitting communications?
Yes. Federal and state water project permitting processes — NEPA environmental impact statements, Section 404 permits, state water rights proceedings — all have public involvement requirements. We help project proponents meet those requirements while building genuine public understanding and support, not just checking the regulatory box.
What is the Northern Integrated Supply Project?
NISP is an $800 million water supply project that will provide 15 Northern Front Range water providers with 40,000 acre-feet of new, reliable water supplies annually — serving nearly half a million residents by 2050. Sigler supported strategic planning, issues management, and permitting communications, including coalition-building that brought together elected officials, business organizations, and civic groups. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a federal Clean Water Act Section 404 Record of Decision for NISP in Q4 2022.
Does Sigler work on water projects in Texas?
Yes. Sigler has deep experience in the Texas water market, including construction communications for Bois d'Arc Lake (the first new Texas reservoir in 30 years), Lake Ralph Hall, and ongoing communications management for the North Texas Municipal Water District and Upper Trinity Regional Water District. Texas water projects face unique community and regulatory dynamics, and we have the relationships and regional knowledge to navigate them.
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