The water industry is working to improve communications by focusing on messaging that enhances public confidence in our water systems, yet it often seems like an uphill battle. While safe, reliable water supplies are available to a great majority in North America, it's understood that there are still some systems that struggle. But while these communities and governments have a lot of work to do to, the approach of broadly attacking tap water doesn't help those struggling systems, and only harms the overall perception of a sector that is pretty successful.

As a recent example, the US federal government proposed efforts to ensure clean, safe drinking water for all communities by replacing the nation's lead pipes and service lines and upgrading its water systems. This mission is fantastic and commendable—I just wish the administration didn't start their messaging by broadly stating, “Across the country, pipes and treatment plants are aging and polluted drinking water is endangering public health.”

The message starts off focusing correctly on the assets that need to be better managed, but it leaves out the crucial connection to the policies behind them, jumping right to an image of a drinking water monster that's threatening the public. But where water infrastructure is made into a monster like this, I think the unfortunate victim is our broader perception of safe drinking water.

Bad water services are monstrous, but the water itself is more like Dr. Frankenstein's creation, innocent to start but suffering from another's decisions and actions. In fact, in this famous story by Mary Shelley, the “monster” laments, “Of my creation and creator I was absolutely ignorant, but I knew that I possessed no money, no friends, no kind of property. I was, besides, endued with a figure hideously deformed and loathsome. . . .”

We can't shy away from our challenges, and while struggling water systems need support to ensure they're not making “monsters,” we also need to better communicate our industry's strengths and successes. It takes great talent and accountability to make a water system work well, but it also takes great talent to strengthen a community's connection to its water and the systems behind the services. Vilifying water won't stop any time soon, so in addition to helping every system succeed, water professionals must ensure the public knows its water is safe so that no one sees a water monster when they open their tap.

This issue of Journal AWWA features an interview with the A.P. Black Research Award winner Dr. Issam Najm, with additional feature articles spotlighting bench-scale, pilot-scale, and full-scale research. Please consider sharing your perspectives and experiences with water professionals across the globe by writing me at journaleditor@awwa.org.

水行业正在努力通过专注于增强公众对我们水系统的信心的信息来改善沟通，但这通常似乎是一场艰苦的战斗。虽然北美的绝大多数人都可以获得安全、可靠的供水，但据了解，仍有一些系统存在问题。但是，虽然这些社区和政府有很多工作要做，但广泛攻击自来水的方法对那些陷入困境的系统没有帮助，只会损害对一个非常成功的行业的整体看法。

作为最近的一个例子，美国联邦政府提议通过更换国家的铅管和服务管线并升级其供水系统，努力确保所有社区获得清洁、安全的饮用水。这项使命非常棒且值得称道——我只是希望政府在开始他们的信息传递时不要笼统地说：“在全国范围内，管道和处理厂正在老化，受污染的饮用水正在危及公共健康。”

该消息一开始正确地关注需要更好管理的资产，但它忽略了与背后政策的关键联系，直接跳到了威胁公众的饮用水怪物的形象。但是，如果水利基础设施变成这样的怪物，我认为不幸的受害者是我们对安全饮用水的更广泛认识。

糟糕的供水服务是可怕的，但水本身更像是弗兰肯斯坦博士的创造，一开始是无辜的，但会受到他人的决定和行动的影响。事实上，在玛丽雪莱的这个著名故事中，“怪物”感叹道：“我对我的创造物和创造者一无所知，但我知道我没有钱，没有朋友，没有任何财产。此外，我还有一个畸形的、令人厌恶的形象。. . 。”

我们不能回避我们的挑战，虽然苦苦挣扎的供水系统需要支持以确保它们不会成为“怪物”，但我们还需要更好地宣传我们行业的优势和成功。使供水系统运转良好需要出色的人才和责任感，但也需要出色的人才来加强社区与其水和服务背后系统的联系。诽谤水不会很快停止，因此除了帮助每个系统取得成功之外，水专业人士还必须确保公众知道其水是安全的，这样当他们打开水龙头时就不会看到水怪。

本期AWWA 杂志对美联社黑人研究奖获得者 Issam Najm 博士进行了采访，并附有其他专题文章，重点介绍了实验室规模、试点规模和全面研究。请考虑通过 journaleditor@awwa.org 给我写信，与世界各地的水资源专业人士分享您的观点和经验。