Community Engagement Guide

This guide is created especially for people who want to do something about water and wastewater challenges their community is facing, but don't know where to start. It is intended for those who want to get their voices heard and their gifts put to use within the community, and are seeking to collaborate with other community members for the purpose of creating and running concerned citizen groups to promote water and wastewater improvement and resilience. 

It contains information and sources useful no matter what level of knowledge or involvement you may already have. All of the information in this guide can be freely shared with anyone in your community who wants to work together to create lasting change.

This guide was created by Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN), a nonprofit organization that is a network for scholarly and community collaboration to build economic futures based on local assets, values, and vision. We believe that people understand their own places, environments, and communities in ways that are essential to good public policy and good science. As a link-tank, we focus on connecting local knowledge with specialized expertise.

Many people struggle to get water they can afford for their homes and businesses, even in areas of the country that get abundant rain. All across this country, the  cost of water and sewage infrastructure is growing. Aquifers are increasingly depleted or contaminated, which leads to conflict among populations for scarce water sources. At present, millions of people lack access to good quality water, and wastewater treatment is often unattainable. Extreme weather events, such as floods and droughts, which are becoming more frequent and unpredictable, are increasing inequalities between communities and causing lasting devastation. 

When aging infrastructures need expensive repair, will those most in need get new resources? Will communities most exposed to climate change impacts get funding for building resilience into their water and wastewater systems?

 In diverse places, all over the US, people are coming together to take action to solve water challenges of too much, too little, or too contaminated water. New coalitions are forming among communities, and between communities, nonprofit organizations, scholars, and government agencies, while federal and state governments are offering new funds dedicated to improving water infrastructure. 

In the design and implementation of plans, it is important that communities have a say.  Communities have valuable, first hand knowledge to contribute. Local residents know local realities and  have a direct stake in fair and affordable outcomes. When communities are ‘at the table’ when decisions are being made, they can help to craft fair and equitable solutions for diverse stakeholders, especially those most vulnerable. 

This guide is designed to encourage community members to get organized and be ready to have your say to help craft decisions and solutions that work for you.