Experts Urged to Tone Down Water Talk

LAKELAND | Water experts who want members of the public to understand the water issues facing Florida need to listen to the public and explain the issues in ways they'll understand.

That was the message that Beth Putnam, communications manager at the Southwest Florida Water Management District, which is also called Swiftmud, gave to a gathering of water experts Tuesday in Lakeland. She outlined the importance of clear public communications at a conference that was dominated by lectures on water supply planning, water pollution regulations and geology.

The all-day conference was sponsored by the Lakes Education/Action Drive at the University of South Florida Polytechnic-Polk Community College campus.

"You have the curse of knowledge," Putnam said, explaining that a common failing is the assumption that just because officials understand something, it should be obvious to the public.

"You're not the public," she told the collection of engineers, hydrologists, environmental activists and business leaders.

She suggested they try bringing up some of these issues to their neighbors. "You'll find there's a mystified look on their faces," she said.

To communicate better, you have to talk to the public, listen to what they think and come up with ways to change their behavior by overcoming some of the barriers that prevent change now, she said.

She said one approach is a program Swiftmud launched to work with groups of homeowners in neighborhoods throughout the 16-county district to educate them about the need to cut back on lawn irrigation in the winter.

The exercise revealed that residents wanted to do the right thing environmentally, but their behavior was often guided by misperceptions - many thought brown spots on their lawn meant more irrigation was needed - or concerns about being fined by their homeowners association for having unattractive lawns.

[ Tom Palmer can be reached at tom.palmer@theledger.com or 863-802-7535. His blog on the environment is at environment.theledger.com. ]