Oceanside, California

Pure Water Oceanside is purifying recycled water to create a new, local source of high-quality drinking water that is clean, safe, drought-proof and environmentally sound. Servicing customers since 2022, Pure Water Oceanside is the first operating advanced water purification facility in San Diego County and will reduce Oceanside’s reliance on imported water by 32%. 

In 2018, the City of Oceanside hired consultants who now make up the Ardurra Community Relations team to implement community relations, education and a perception change campaign to prepare the community for a new water purification facility and related pipelines. Currently the Ardurra team is managing construction outreach and public awareness/education efforts, including tours and communication efforts for pipeline and injection and monitoring wells construction that impacted residents and businesses.

The team began with an online water customer survey to identify perceptions and obtain a baseline measurement of understanding and support about indirect potable reuse. The main goals of the survey were to identify perceptions about potable reuse and gauge the current level of support to establish a baseline as a reference point to substantiate subsequent communication efforts over time. Our team prepared the project’s education, perception change and marketing plan to achieve relevant, attainable and measurable results. We assisted the city to quickly launch the project’s outreach program in March 2019 with a PRSA award-winning community event we coined as the World of Water. Since then, our team has assisted the city by planning and launching a public tour program, speakers bureau, visitor center design, media relations, collateral materials, videos and the official groundbreaking and ribbon-cutting events with the groundbreaking theme “Pure Water Oceanside is on the Map!”

Through the help of our award-winning public affairs/community relations team, the City of Oceanside is the first operating advanced water reuse project to come online in San Diego County. Click here to learn more about the project.

The WateReuse California bestowed Pure Water Oceanside with Outreach/Public Education Program of the Year in 2021. The project received an education and perception change award from the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO). The Public Relations Society of America San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter presented the project awards for integrated communications, special events (two awards), video, research, media relations, creative tactics and best in show (for its Pure Water Oceanside is on the Map groundbreaking event).