This article discusses a study funded by the Water Research Foundation that investigated the relationships among the water conservation behaviors of customers, demographics and other factors, and effective communication. Through guidelines that water agencies can use to design effective, integrated communication approaches aimed at influencing water conservation behavior, the report, Water Conservation: Customer Behavior and Effective Communications, will assist water utilities in designing and implementing social marketing campaigns through three mechanisms that include: sharing informational resources on social marketing; sharing lessons learned from other water utilities; and, sharing research on links between demographics and effective communications for use in designing targeted communications campaigns, particularly when budgets are limited.

Water utilities are on a journey of improved corporate risk management. Progress has been significant and most now have formalised risk tools and documented procedures in place. However, it is also clear that much still needs to be done to improve risk management capability in the water utility sector and bring it to a par with capabilities found in nuclear, offshore and aerospace sectors. Key areas for improvement are capability to analyse risk and compliance at an enterprise-wide level, better engagement with utility Boards, improved integration with other core business functions, managing risk knowledge and establishing 'sustained and pervasive' risk management deep within organisational culture and structures. We have reported for WaterRF 1-3 on risk analysis tools (RFP2939), on organisational cultures for implementation (TC3184) and most recently, on risk governance (TC4363) within the international water sector, the key aspects of which are reported here. Beginning with a survey of technical tools for risk analysis and a benchmarking exercise of the international water sector, we have become increasingly engaged in the implementation agenda 4 with our water utility partners. Our research has revealed:  The range of risk analysis tools used across the water sector and the critical requirements for lasting implementation.  The 'hard' and 'soft' cultural factors that aid better implementation of risk management practice including human and organisational factors as contributors to asset reliability.  The complexities and requirements of the role of 'chief risk officer'/'group risk manager' and an agenda for these roles in utility organisations whether public, private or corporatized in legal entity.  The criticality of utility leadership on aspects of risk governance.  An in-depth analysis of water safety plans as a renewed stimulus for preventative risk management within the water sector.  The relative maturity of risk management practice in the sector, and the future needs to achieve improved risk management maturity.Here we summarise the journey to date and look forward to future challenges. We expect to see a future risk function better integrated with other business processes, with closer Board support and made more transparent for customers, regulators and investors alike.

The one area in every utility that any customer can knowledgeably compare to world class organizations is the customer contact center. With the enormous advances in customer contact center technologies and the heightened awareness of the importance of customer service and satisfaction, water and wastewater utilities can significantly expand and optimize the customer contact center into a utility wide resource which increases levels of service, promotes customer satisfaction and, ultimately, reduces costs to the utility. The Water Research Foundation will soon be publishing a study "Optimizing the Water Utility Customer Contact Center" which will provide a toolkit for utilities making the transition from today's call center to the optimized customer contact center of the future.

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