Station Community Outreach Grant Awards
Congratulations to the following stations who have been awarded Liquid Assets: The Story of Our Water Infrastructure community outreach grants:
• NPT/Nashville
• WUFT/Gainesville
• WFYI/Indianapolis
• WSBE/Providence
• KCPT/Kansas City
• UNC-TV/Raleigh
• WFWA/Fort Wayne
• NET/Nebraska
• WGTE/Toledo
NPT/Nashville – NPT will sponsor a community summit to create dialogue, extend partnerships, educate viewers, and support the educational messages in the broadcast of Liquid Assets. Partners: Nashville Metro Water Services, Tennessee Infrastructure Alliance, Nashville Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and the International Infrastructure Water Commission.
WUFT/Gainesville – WUFT will host screenings from October, 2008 through mid-February, 2009, when Liquid Assets is broadcast locally. Civil engineering students at the University of Florida will use the documentary during Engineering Week 2009 activities. The station also plans to participate in a clean up of water resource areas with environmental groups. Educational credit meetings will be held using resources from Liquid Assets. Partners: American Water Works Association of Gainesville, Gainesville Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Alachua County Library District, Save Our Suwannee, and Current Problems.
WFYI/Indianapolis – WFYI hosted screenings/discussions for environmental and water professionals, and for legislators. WFYI-FM will produce a radio series that will be offered to other Indiana Public Broadcasting Stations. These segments will be aired in Morning Edition and All Things Considered for a week. Partners: City of Indianapolis, Veolia Water North America, United Water, Indiana Water Environment Association, Indiana Department of Environmental Management, Hoosier Environmental Council, Alliance of Indiana Rural Water, Indianapolis Department of Public Works/Clean Stream Team, Improving Kids’ Environment, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, National Utility Contractors Association of Indiana, Indiana Rural Water Association, Sierra Club, and Hoosier Environmental Council.
WSBE/Providence – An original 30-minute program will follow the broadcast of Liquid Assets. Entitled “Hidden Assets: Rhode Island's Water Infrastructure,” it will focus on telling the Rhode Island story with respect to issues and topics presented in Liquid Assets. Partners: Rhode Island Clean Water Finance Agency, Narragansett Water Pollution Control Association, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Rhode Island Department of Health, Providence Water, Narragansett Bay Commission, Save The Bay, Warwick Sewer Authority, and Advocacy Solutions.
KCPT/Kansas City – A local one-hour broadcast will show sections of Liquid Assets content followed with local content to address pressing infrastructure needs. KCPT will also air Liquid Assets as a stand-alone broadcast. The city has 2,200 miles of sewer pipeline, some of which dates back to Civil War times. Partners: Kansas City Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Mid-America Regional Council, and KCUR, Kansas City’s NPR affiliate.
UNC-TV/Raleigh – Local broadcast of a 30-minute pre-taped panel discussion will air immediately following the broadcast of Liquid Assets. An additional 30 minutes of taping that is not broadcast will be streamed via the Web. Partners: North Carolina Rural Center, the Carolinas AGC, the League of Municipalities, the American Council of Consulting Engineers and the Orange County Water and Sewer Authority.
WFWA/Fort Wayne – WFWA will co-host a screening at the main branch of the community library system followed by a discussion, led by a panel of experts, about local clean river/water sewage efforts. The station will also produce and air half-hour show about Fort Wayne’s water system and sewage project. Partners: Fort Wayne City Utilities, and the Allen County Public Library.
NET/Nebraska – Liquid Assets will be used as a foundation piece along with “Our Water, Our Future,” a companion discussion starter program. NET will hold viewing events in collaboration with the Omaha Neighborhood Associations and the Omaha Green Coalition, as well as during Engineering Week in February, 2009. Partners: The City of Omaha, Nebraska through its Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO!) Program, Omaha Neighborhood Associations, Omaha Green Coalition, Omaha Public Libraries, HDR Engineering, Inc., and CH2M HILL.
WGTE/Toledo – Production and broadcast of local town hall meeting, following broadcast of Liquid Assets, will foster discussion of local issues as related to the national documentary. The station’s efforts will incorporate significant local resources already dedicated to local watershed planning. Partners: Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments, Junior League of Greater Toledo, Maumee River Partners for Clean Streams, The Lucas County Soil and Water Conservation District, Ohio Lake Erie Commission, Ohio Water Development Authority, and the Ohio EPA.
