JVW Communications Projects

Redwood Trunk Sewer Project

The City of Oxnard Wastewater Division's Redwood Trunk Sewer Project represents one of the largest and most challenging collection system projects in the City’s history. It was approved in 2002 with an overall goal of serving the city’s wastewater needs into the foreseeable future. The project will also improve aging infrastructure, minimize odors by improving operational characteristics and allow the city to meet the current and future needs of its community.

This significant undertaking will consist of 46,000 feet of new sewer pipeline, ranging in size from 20 to 60 inches in diameter, to deliver wastewater flows to the new Headworks Facility. The project will also include the refurbishment of the Hemlock/Patterson Street Pump Station and the elimination of five City of Oxnard sewage lift stations, thereby reducing associated maintenance costs. Adding to this complex project is the need to realign the city’s existing sewers to connect with the Headworks Facility.

JVW Communications has implemented a comprehensive Public Awareness Program for the Headworks and Redwood Trunk Sewer Projects. As the largest sewer replacement project in Ventura County and the largest microtunneling project in the United States, this is a challenging project with numerous potential community impacts and environmental issues. Now in its second year, public awareness is an integral part of the projects overall success. This results-oriented, public awareness program includes direct-mail correspondence and presentations to the business community, doorknob hangers and ongoing communications to residents and merchants in the impacted areas, broadcast and print advertisements in newspapers, media relations resulting in several positive news stories, an interactive website www.oxnardwastewater.org, a 24-hour telephone information line in English and Spanish, email and fax broadcasts, educational videos, numerous newsletter articles, public information displays, effective construction signage, campaign unveiling and groundbreaking event coordination and much more. We are also working with the division to provide awareness on stormwater pollution prevention.

Groundwater Recovery Enhancement And Treatment (GREAT) Program

The City of Oxnard Water Division's Groundwater Recovery Enhancement And Treatment (GREAT) Program involves three major objectives: (1) The construction of a new, regional groundwater desalination facility to serve Oxnard and Port Hueneme Water Agency; (2) The building of a recycled water system to serve agricultural water users in the Pleasant Valley area and protect water sources against seawater intrusion; and (3) Conveying desalination concentrates through a new brine line to an enhanced wetlands in the Ormond Beach area.

The benefits are numerous for all parties involved, including the residents and business owners of Oxnard. The GREAT Program is a win-win regional project solution that demonstrates the City of Oxnard Water Division's commitment to "meeting the challenges of tomorrow, through better planning today, while remaining always at the service of their constituents."

This is a nationally recognized water resources project that combines wastewater recycling and reuse, groundwater injection, storage and recovery, groundwater desalination and the restoration of local wetlands to provide regional water supply solutions to the Oxnard plain. JVW Communications has been working with the City of Oxnard Water Division for several years to advance the public outreach efforts of its GREAT Program, including developing and maintaining their website, managing the development of and coordinating activities during their events, designing and distributing numerous marketing publications.

Public Outreach Program

To have a truly effective public outreach program, the City of Oxnard Water Division needed a documented goal. To achieve this goal, the division needed to set specific outreach objectives and then develop the best strategies and tactics to achieve those objectives. JVW Communications successfully facilitated this creative process. Phase I included an introductory PowerPoint presentation to outline the process and discuss the elements of the plan; facilitate brainstorming sessions on goal setting, strategies and tactics; and culminate with a final PowerPoint presentation to unveil and discuss the plan. Phase II measured the effectiveness of the Public Outreach Program with several surveys to gain customer feedback. Surveys included a direct-mail questionnaire sent randomly to customers, a website survey and focus groups.

We are also integrally involved in the division’s successful public outreach campaign featuring a teacher’s resource materials for primary education schools, copywriting for numerous collateral materials, quarterly newsletters and event coordination. We also designed and continue to maintain the division’s website, http://www.oxnardwater.org.

Event Coordination

The Water Division holds its annual "Children's Water Science Festival" where more than 1000 participants learn about water resources. Nearly 800 were pre-kindergarten through sixth grade students from Oxnard schools. Other attendees included teachers, volunteers and city staff.

The educational event featured 25 hands-on exhibits where children learned about Xeriscape gardening, water conservation, water testing, density, keeping the oceans clean, tide pools and the water cycle. Children also learned about local wetlands by touring the division's Membrane Concentrate Pilot Wetlands Project and watched water science shows presented by Mad Science. One exhibit offered lesson materials for teachers to extend water learning back into the classrooms.

JVW Communications plans, coordinates and administers this and many other events - from the initial planning meetings to the post satisfication surveys. We are especially proud of our success in receiving excellent media coverage during the day of events. All of the events JVW coordinates and publicizes were featured in multiple local newspapers, television broadcasts and county publications.

Website Design

The City of Oxnard Wastewater Division was looking for a web presence to host information about their projects, programs and services. Since wastewater is not the most entertaining subject matter, JVW was challenged with bringing interest to the website using other means.

JVW Communications developed the City of Oxnard Wastewater Division website to host the Headworks and Redwood Trunk Sewer Projects. This included an animated page header to give the site visitor the feeling of being at the ocean and an interactive demonstration of the new Headworks Facility.

JVW Communications has developed numerous websites for our clients. They may be viewed on our clients page.