It is very important for public officials to make the public aware of the drinking water source assessment program as early in the process as possible, to encourage public input, and to provide an accessible means to receive and process that input. The EPA guidance directs states to provide notice and opportunity for public hearings on the state program to the public. As with an advisory committee, reaching a diverse audience is critical. The awareness of and feedback from all segments of the state's population will greatly improve the overall Drinking Water Source Assessment Plan. Because formal hearings can be intimidating, this guide emphasizes less formal public meetings.
Meetings can be a platform for presenting the plan and a means of acquiring public comments.
The EPA guidance calls for states to demonstrate that they have conducted such meetings, to show how they incorporated public comments into the plan and to show how they addressed those comments not incorporated. The more communication between officials and the public and the more people who read and respond to the information, the greater the cooperation and support for the final program. Early in the process, the citizen advisory committee is a good source of direction on effective ways to attract public attention to the issue. The League recommends continuing public involvement efforts even after the completion of the Source Water Assessment Plan. The advisory members can get to the pulse of the community and facilitate the public notification and education process.