California water district builds public trust through award-winning social media

With a mix of trending video hooks and music video parodies, Walnut Valley Water District’s social media feeds may not look like the average utility’s online presence.

And that’s the key.

For the Southern California water district, social media has allowed staff to share relatable content, foster trust with the community, and reach customers where they already are: on their phones.

“We see social media as a major pillar of our public engagement,” said Stephanie Fu, senior external affairs and sustainability coordinator, who says they focus primarily on Instagram and Facebook. “It helps us be transparent about our water quality and operations, and it lets us connect with people in ways that are visual, accessible, and fast.”

Over the past year, that strategy has earned Walnut Valley Water District two industry awards — one for a “Did You Know?” video series that covers a range of water service topics and another for a “Water U Trust” music video that riffs off the popular “Not Like Us” song by Kendrick Lamar.

The “Did You Know?” series came about as the district, which serves more than 100,000 residents and businesses, prepared to increase rates. Instead of starting with numbers, the communications team started with context.

“People don’t always know where their water comes from or what our infrastructure looks like,” Fu said. “Before we talked about rates, we wanted to show them where their money goes.”

The team partnered with the city of Walnut to produce short, easy‑to‑understand videos filmed around the community. While walking past reservoirs, pump stations, or pressure‑reducing valves, staff explained what each asset does and why it matters. To draw viewers in, they used trending video intros — often with humorous or animal‑themed clips currently trending on TikTok.

The campaign paid off. Customers engaged with the videos and responded to later discussions about rate increases. “They didn’t realize all this infrastructure existed,” Fu said. “Once they saw it, conversations were easier.”

It also netted the team first place in CAPIO’s STAR Awards for social media campaigns in 2025. Walnut Valley also won third place in the water category for the “Water U Trust” video that weaved in quick lessons about water conservation and details about the district’s water systems — all to a catchy beat and fun dance moves. Some even called it the “family friendly version” of Lamar’s popular song.

“We saw people commenting with memes, emojis, and things like, ‘I learned something new!’” said Katrina Lumague, external affairs and sustainability coordinator. “Parents told us their kids were watching it. One person said her middle‑schooler thought it was cool, so that’s how she knew it was. We got this stamp of approval in different ways than we had before.”

The video also permeated internally. Operators and other workers who aren’t normally in public-facing materials starred in the video, and it created energy and interest in producing more. “Our co‑workers were proud of it,” Fu said.

For utilities hesitant to start on social media, Fu and Lumague offer some advice: Be clear about your purpose, be authentic in your content, and be consistent. Posting regularly builds familiarity and trust.

“You’re not trying to be an influencer,” Lumague said. “You’re giving your community another way to know you.”