Full Description

Water utilities are required to inform customers about thequality of their water and whether any violations in waterquality standards have occurred. Specifically, utilities arerequired to publish Consumer Confidence Reports (CCRs.)Six surveys were conducted of New Jersey water utilitycustomers to assess whether these reports are effective incommunicating information about water quality. The surveysprovide the first evidence on how customers react to the materialcontained in CCRs. Johnson reviewed the survey results andfound that some detailed information - in particular, ranges ofdetected contaminant levels - is difficult for customers tointerpret. Still, as difficult as the information may be to understand,most people find the CCRs informative. The author alsolearned that although customers expect utility companies tocommunicate with them, customers do not feel obligated toprovide feedback. The surveys also showed that the aestheticqualities of the water are critical to a customer's assessment ofwater quality. Additionally, whether because of preexistingtrust or distrust, CCRs are unlikely to shift customer views oftheir utility. Lastly, survey respondents made several recommendationson how the information contained in the CCRscould be improved. Includes 25 references, tables.

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Edition: Vol. 95 - No. 8 Published: 08/01/2003 Number of Pages: 10File Size: 1 file , 920 KB