B7_SOP Pub Ed

Title:
Version
Approvals
Approved by:
Approved by:
CITY OF
DURHAM
City of Durham, North Carolina
Public Works Department
Stormwater and GIS Services
Standard Operating Procedures for the Stormwater Public
Education Program
2.0
,�7) a4t� lU4, Date: 04/19/2022
Sandi Wilbur, Watershed Restoration Manager
_ Date:
Paul Wiebke, Assistant Director for Stormwater & GIS Services

Revision Record
Revision
Date
Updated by
Description of change
2.0
6/20/2021
Laura Webb Smith
Updated format. Removed business info that is now in
its own SOP. Extensive revisions to update all sections.
Distribution
Current copies of this approved SOP should be provided to the following positions with the City of
Durham Stormwater and GIS Services:
• Watershed Restoration Manager
• Water Quality Manager
Procedures
Purpose and scope
The purpose of this Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is to describe the methods used by the City of
Durham's Stormwater and GIS Services for carrying out the stormwater public education program, one
part of a comprehensive stormwater management program.
Personnel qualifications and responsibilities
Staff members should have background and training in environmental education, communications, and
natural sciences or engineering. They should be familiar with the state education standards for science
and have qualifications to train other educators on curricula related to water quality. They should be
excellent communicators, with the ability to write for the general public and present to a variety of
audiences. They should be familiar with the science and engineering principles used in stormwater and
watershed management, including water quality testing, stream assessments, green stormwater
infrastructure, and stormwater control measure design/construction/maintenance. They should be
proficient in creating graphics that support key messages.
Supplies
This program is responsible for supplies that support the following:
• presentations, workshops, and event tabling;
• giveaways to promote hotline.
Methods
Identify target pollutants, pollutant sources, and audience
Stormwater Management Plan sections 7.2.1 through 7.2.3 summarize the pollutants, sources and
audiences for stormwater education and outreach. The Stormwater Management Plan appendix
discussion of pollutants and sources includes a review of the City's recent water quality monitoring
results along with other information, including NC Basin Plan Assessments, publications by the US

Geological Survey and by North Carolina State University. This review supported the selection of Target
Pollutants, Sources and Audiences.
Appendix B, Total Maximum Daily Load Response Plan for Northeast Creek and Third Fork Creek
Watersheds, provides watershed -specific discussion of pollutants.
Maintain informational website
Durhamnc.gov
The City of Durham has a content management system that allows approved people within the
department to make changes to their web pages. Regular updates include posting new Waterways
newsletter issues, annual State of our Streams reports, annual NPDES reports, watershed information,
and development review, stormwater control measure (SCM) maintenance, SCM design/plan review,
drainage problems, flooding, floodplain information, utility fee information, water quality, and
watershed planning and implementation projects. Information on how to contact key staff in
designated areas is also available. There is an online form for residents to report water pollution.
All web content should comply with the following:
City Policy GS-1 Americans with Disabilities Act - Title II Access to City Programs, Services &
Activities
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 A and AA.
See https://durhamnc.gov/4389 for details and guidelines on web accessibility.
CWEP website, nc-cleanwater.org
The City funds and actively participates in the steering committee of the Clean Water Education
Partnership (CWEP). CWEP's website provides easy -to -understand information on the causes of
stormwater pollution and how to help. CWEP reports metrics on the number of unique visitors, number
of visitors, number of pages per visit, and visit duration. Selected metrics are included in the City's
annual reporting.
Keepdurhambeautiful.org
The Keep Durham Beautiful (KDB) website hosts information about Creek Week, Big Sweep, and
adoption programs such as adopt -a -(bus) stop.
Promote hotline
The stormwater hotline is promoted through a variety of means. Messages are periodically included in
the City Manager's Report to citizens, and in the Waterways newsletter distributed with utility bills.
Giveaways that include a message on reporting pollution are distributed at events. The City also uses
short videos that instruct residents on when to call the hotline. The videos are posted on YouTube.com,
are run regularly on government channel DTN, and are used in social marketing. Current and past

giveaways include reusable straws, badge clips, pens, ice scrapers, rain gauges, and several varieties of
rubber ducks.
There are several alternate means of reporting pollution concerns.
• Group email address, [e-mail], promoted in email signature taglines
• Online pollution reporting form.
• Durham One call service, 919-560-1200, and web page/online form
• A one -page brochure on identifying and reporting pollution includes the hotline and the group
email address as means of reporting concerns.
• Stormwater Staff members provide giveaways, handouts, and/or decals for City workers to put
in their work vehicles
• Social media posts, water bill inserts, and videos also promote the hotline.
Publish and Distribute Printed Brochures, Newsletters, and Guidance Documents
All written materials should meet standards outlined in the Writing and Readability guidance
document. Documents intended for a general audience are checked to ensure they meet or are
close to an eighth grade reading level. Documents should also be checked for accessibility as
outlined in the Writing and Readability SOP. All documents should follow City of Durham brand
guide: https://durhamnc.gov/3229.
• Waterways
The Waterways newsletter is published two times per year and mailed with the water bill,
usually in July and November. The water bill mailing must be reserved through the Public Affairs
Office (reserve both slots each January through Digital Communications Specialist or BOSS ticket
system). Topics are oriented toward residential issues such as yard and car care, pet waste, and
volunteer opportunities. Updates on Stormwater projects are provided.
• Printed materials
The City uses brochures, fact sheets, infographics, and postcards to reach audiences associated
with specific pollution sources. For business audiences and topics, see Business Outreach SOP. A
colorful foldout brochure produced by CWEP targets a general audience and covers the topics of
pet waste, vehicle maintenance, lawn chemicals, household hazardous waste, litter, and yard
waste.
• Guidance Documents: see Business Outreach SOP
• Spanish language outreach
Many handouts the City has developed are in English and Spanish. The City has also developed a
Spanish translation of its Stormwater Pollution Ordinance to facilitate communication about its

requirements. Staff members refer to the City's Language Access Plan
(https://www.durhamnc.gov/4653) for recommendations on interpretation and translation.
Utilize Community -Based Social Marketing Techniques
Social marketing is the process of using outreach techniques to achieve behavior change for the greater
good. Community -based social marketing goes beyond media advertising to include direct contact with
people (McKenzie -Mohr, 1999). The following are examples of how Durham's program puts the
principles into practice:
Building commitment through pledges: ask people to take a Clean Water Pledge or the Canines
for Clean Water pledge at an event. Give them a postcard reminder and post their commitment
on a web page.
Prompts and removing barriers: install pet waste stations with custom messages at parks and
trails to remind and encourage proper pet waste disposal. Give dog owners a bag holder to
attach to their leash
Creative, effective messages: use positive messages that are easy to remember, focus on one
behavior, and target one audience at a time. "Keep it neat. Leaves and grass off the street." As
USEPA's Getting In Step outreach guide states, "The key to successful outreach is targeting your
message to a specific audience and having them respond to your message." Further guidance
for message wording comes from the Water Words that Work approach (2015). Spitfire
Strategies also has useful tips for framing messages in their Smart Chart (2015).
• Foster social diffusion: Use workshops and neighbor -to -neighbor outreach to share lessons on
rain gardens and rainwater harvesting. Gain acceptance of practices beyond "early adopters" to
reach a wider audience.
Design and evaluation: Pilot new messages and ads with an audience to tweak language and
tone before taking a campaign full scale.
Media
The media landscape is constantly changing and the program adapts as needed to utilize appropriate
media outlets. The City reports media statistics in its annual report.
• News releases
With the support of the Public Affairs Office, staff issues several news releases each year to
publicize events and public meetings and inform the public about special projects. The releases
are distributed via social media channels and sent directly to neighborhood listservs and
individuals that subscribe.
• Radio

Work with local Spanish radio stations to produce and play 30-second radio spots on pollutants
of concern. Paid through Watershed Improvement Plan contracts.
• Social media
The Stormwater and GIS Services Division has developed a Social Media Plan in line with the
City's Social Media Policy. The plan states goals, audience, approaches, and evaluation methods
for each form of social media outreach. Metrics are reported and analyzed quarterly to assess
growth in audience and to gage effectiveness of posts.
Social media posts should follow social media accessibility best practices. See
https://durhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3701S/Digital-Content-Accessibility-Training---
Session-4---Digital-Accessibility-for-Social-Media-Video-and-Multimedia.
• Videos
The City has a number of videos that cover a variety of issues. They are used to promote the
stormwater hotline or to share information about a specific topic or project. The City has made
several videos in coordination with the development of local watershed improvement plans, a
best practice from USEPA's Getting In Step (2010). Videos are hosted on the City of Durham's
main YouTube channel and added to the Stormwater playlist. Videos may also be posted directly
on social media channels. See YouTube user guide for instructions on posting videos and how to
add captions for accessibility. Videos are also shown on the local government cable access
channel Durham Television Network. See list of videos with shortened links and guide on how to
post to Stormwater's YouTube channel here: K:\Division Files\Quality\Docs\PUB-ED\Public
Affairs\DTV8 and Videos
Videos should follow accessibility guidelines for captions. See
https:Hdurhamnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/37015/Digital-Content-Accessibility-Training---
Session-4---Digital-Accessibility-for-Social-Media-Video-and-Multimedia.
Videos should follow City video production guidelines. See https://durhamnc.gov/3262.
• Mass Media Campaign through CWEP
The City is a founding and active member of the Clean Water Education Partnership (CWEP), a
cooperative effort between local governments and others to implement media campaigns to
increase awareness and promote changes in behavior. The website https://nc-cleanwater.com/
is hosted by CWEP and is updated with all new content, campaigns, and annual reports.
CWEP campaigns have evolved with changing media preferences to include online advertising
and social media. Specific behaviors that promote clean water are highlighted in short videos
that are disseminated through YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Pre -roll video, and paid TV ads
Special Events

At local festivals and other events the City staff will use display materials to educate the public about
water pollution, stormwater runoff, and the City's Stormwater Services Division. Examples of such
events include Earth Day Festival, Centerfest, and Latino Fest. Such community events are also used to
distribute targeted message brochures, promotional giveaways promoting the hotline, or other
messages. Events vary each year. All events require applications to participate and some require fees.
Large events require staff support.
Events may feature any of our hands-on education models, including the EnviroScape, a plinko game
board, or a storm drain model.
Maintain supply of giveaways to support hotline
Staff members distribute giveaways at events to raise awareness about the stormwater pollution hotline
number, 919-560-SWIM. The giveaways attract attention and are often related to the topic of the
display. Examples include reusable straws, pens, themed rubber ducks, dog waste bag holders, badge
clips, and ice scrapers. Pencils with an educational message are given away to children. Vendors include
local and online distributors.
Lead Workshops
Educator workshops are usually 6 of instruction and include distribution of a curriculum guide. Project
WET, Project Learning Tree, and It's Our Water are examples. Shorter trainings may be scheduled with
Durham Public Schools to accommodate teacher training needs. Workshops are also held to train
volunteers.
Conduct Classroom Presentations
Staff members lead hands-on lessons in classrooms, at science days and nights, and at the Durham
County Soil and Water Conservation District's Environmental Field Days. Teaching tools include the
EnviroScape non -point source runoff model, Project WET (2011) activities, and books by Harper (2006),
Needham and Lucas (2001) and Sidman (2005). Whenever possible, lessons are correlated to the North
Carolina Essential Standards for Science and/or the Core Curriculum so that students' learning has
context. Further information on skills and topics to teach by grade level are found in the Excellence in
Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning (NAAEE, 2004). The guidelines recommend teaching
about the local environment as a primary approach to fostering environmental literacy. Key knowledge
and skills are broken down by grade level, such as learning about local drinking water sources (Pre K-4),
monitoring changes in water quality (5-8), and evaluating sources of nonpoint source pollution (9-12).
Business outreach
See Business outreach SOP.
Offer Speaker's Bureau

The City uses presentations to reach out to neighborhood associations, watershed groups, and other
groups of interested citizens. The City uses presentations to communicate with the public about general
stormwater topics, specific projects, infrastructure issues, and/or initiatives. Speaker's Bureau
presenters include both trained communicators and technical staff. Powerpoint presentations are
heavily illustrated with photos and images.
Virtual Outreach
If the city or state is under an emergency declaration due to severe weather, a pandemic, etc., the City
will conduct outreach using virtual platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Virtual outreach may
include public information sessions, school presentations, and workshops for teachers and volunteers.
Virtual outreach need not be only used during an emergency; meetings and sessions on virtual platforms
can reduce barriers to participation due to child care needs, transportation, or work duties.
Maintain Database
Information about each public outreach presentation/event is tracked in a MS Access database (located
on the network server at Division Files\Watershed\Public_Education\PUB ED DATABASE). Staff update
the database at least monthly with details about presentations and refer to the database to convey
information in annual reports.
The primary key for the database is the event ID, made from two digit codes for year, month, day, event
type (listed in a table in the database), and start time hour (military style). So for a school presentation
on January 5, 2018 starting at 1 p.m., the event key would be 180105sp13.
Program Assessment
Evaluation of the outreach program takes many forms including tracking measurements related to
workload, reach, and effectiveness. Examples of workload tracking include tracking numbers for:
Waterways newsletters published; community events (table -top display); speaker bureau presentations;
workshops; classroom presentations.
Examples of reach tracking include: number of people visiting stormwater booth at community events;
and number of views of city produced videos on stormwater; number of people at speaker's bureau
presentation, attending workshops, or attending classroom presentations; audience impressions for the
Durham market for radio, television, and cinema campaigns.
Facebook and Twitter social media accounts are analyzed quarterly to assess growth in audience and to
gage reach of individual posts.
Evaluation of outreach effectiveness takes many forms. For example, the number of calls or emails
generated from a Waterways newsletter article may give an indication of how the article resonated with
the target audience. Pre -post index card evaluations are used at school presentations to gauge whether
learning objectives were met. Another method used to evaluate school presentations is to have the

students create an entry in their science journal that may include notes, diagrams, and a summary
statement. Photos of select entries document what students learned. Staff track hotline calls.
Partners
Build and maintain relationships with internal City partners and external agencies and non -profits for
cooperation on workshops, school events, community events, etc.
References
City of Durham. 2015. Strategic Plan. Durham, N.C. http://durhamnc.gov/183/Strategic-
Plan
Harper, Joel. 2006. All the Way to the Ocean. Freedom Three Publishing, Claremont, CA.
Heath, Chip and Heath, Dan. 2010. Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard.
Broadway Books, New York.
McKenzie -Mohr, Doug and Smith, William. 1999. Fostering Sustainable Behavior, An
Introduction to Community -Based Social Marketing. New Society Publishers, BC, Canada.
Needham, Karen and Lucas, Launi. 2001. Strange Beginnings. Tradewind Books, Boston,
MA.
North American Association for Environmental Education. 2004. Excellence in
Environmental Education: Guidelines for Learning. Washington, D.C.
Project WET Foundation. 2011. Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide, Generation
2.0.
Sidman, Joyce. 2005. Song of the Water Boatman & Other Pond Poems. Houghton
Mifflin Company, Boston, MA.
Spitfire Strategies, 2015. http://smartchart.org/content/smart chart 3 O.pdf.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 2009. Communication Product
Standards. Washington, D.C.
http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/stylebook.pdf
United States Environmental Protection Agency. 2010. Getting In Step; A Guide for
Conducting Watershed Outreach Campaigns, 3rd Edition. Washington, D.C.
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npstbx/files/getnstepguide.pdf

United States Environmental Protection Agency. 2015. NPS Toolbox.
Retrieved from the EPA website: http://cfpub.epa.gov/npstbx/index.cfm.