CUSTOMER STORY · PUBLIC RELATIONS

How El Paso Water used media intelligence to turn a facility launch into a national story

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Industry

Public utilities

Customer

El Paso Water (EPWater)

Communications partner

K Harvey Brand Partners — strategic communications & brand consultancy

Solutions

Nexis Newsdesk^® · Nexis^® Media Contacts (powered by Agility)

Home > Nexis Newsdesk > El Paso Water

BY THE NUMBERS

The measurable impact of the Pure Water Center groundbreaking campaign.

Coordinated communications, near real-time media and social listening, and targeted outreach turned a single milestone into a national story — and a model for other utilities.

402M+Media impressions

Reach across local, regional and national outlets including Inside Climate News.

$284K+Earned media value

Quantified value of unpaid coverage earned across the groundbreaking and water reuse forum.

59K+Social impressions

Social conversations tracked, analysed and used to refine messaging in flight.

1stOf its kind in the U.S.

First advanced water purification facility for direct potable reuse at this scale.

AT A GLANCE

What made this PR campaign work — and what other organisations can replicate.

National story, local trust — the Pure Water Center groundbreaking shaped public perception of direct potable reuse from day one.
Data-informed strategy built on existing media coverage and social conversation analysis, not assumptions.
Integrated media intelligence across Nexis Newsdesk and Nexis Media Contacts to identify, monitor, measure and report.
Replicable model for utilities and communities facing similar water-scarcity challenges.

THE SITUATION

Securing the region's water future — and the public trust that comes with it.

As water scarcity intensifies across the U.S., utilities are under increasing pressure to secure sustainable, long-term supply. El Paso Water (EPWater) has emerged as a leader in meeting that challenge through innovation, transparency and deep community engagement.

In 2025, EPWater reached a major milestone with the groundbreaking of its Pure Water Center — the first advanced water purification facility of its kind in the U.S., designed to strengthen the region's water future. More than a construction event, the moment represented an opportunity to shape public perception and build trust around advanced purification that turns treated water into high-quality drinking water.

EPWater partnered with K Harvey Brand Partners to bring the story to life, transforming it into a powerful communications moment that elevated the city's leadership on a national stage while reinforcing confidence at home.

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"We knew this milestone event would shape public perception. Getting the message right from the beginning helped define how the Pure Water Center and direct potable reuse is understood moving forward."

Jonathan Gurwitz, Partner · K Harvey Brand Partners

THE CHALLENGE

A milestone with little margin for error.

Despite being a proven, science-based solution, direct potable water reuse often faces public hesitation driven by misunderstanding and outdated narratives. For EPWater, the stakes were especially high:

The Pure Water Center represents a significant long-term investment in the region’s water future.
The groundbreaking was the first major public moment following the project’s announcement.
Early perception would shape long-term public trust and adoption.

As a desert community, El Paso residents already understood the importance of water conservation. But the shift to direct potable reuse required careful, intentional communication to build understanding and trust — while EPWater also sought to expand awareness of its leadership through broader national media visibility.

THE SOLUTION

A coordinated strategy built on insight, clarity and credibility.

Rather than treating the groundbreaking as a single event, EPWater and K Harvey Brand Partners approached it as a coordinated communications campaign — informed end-to-end by LexisNexis® Media Intelligence.

Data-informed strategy

The team analysed existing media coverage and social conversations to understand how recycled water was being discussed and perceived — then shaped messaging and outreach priorities around what the data revealed.

Clear, accessible storytelling

Complex technical concepts were translated into simple, digestible messages — supported by short-form video and trusted local voices that connect with the community.

Credible voices, targeted outreach

National industry experts, local leaders and tailored messaging ensured relevance across audiences — simplifying for residents, adding technical depth for trade and national outlets.

Strategic event execution

The groundbreaking was paired with a water reuse forum featuring national industry leaders — creating opportunities for both broad awareness and deeper discussion in a single multi-layered moment.

Targeted journalist engagement

Nexis Media Contacts (powered by Agility) helped the team identify and engage the most relevant journalists and outlets — from El Paso reporters to national climate and infrastructure beats.

Near real-time monitoring & measurement

Nexis Newsdesk monitored coverage and sentiment as it happened — letting the team refine messaging in flight and report measurable impact to leadership and board members.

THE RESULTS

A critical infrastructure investment — and a source of community pride.

The campaign successfully positioned the Pure Water Center as both a critical infrastructure investment and a source of community pride. Coverage spanned local, regional and national outlets including Inside Climate News, reinforcing the project's significance beyond El Paso. Beyond scale and reach, the quality of coverage mattered most: media narratives consistently reflected the intended message and highlighted innovation, safety and leadership.

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402M+ media impressions across local & national outlets
$284K+ in earned media value
Coverage in Inside Climate News and other national outlets
Little to no negative response — sentiment held positive
Clear value reported to leadership and board members

"The coverage delivered exactly what we intended. We saw little to no negative response, and the positive coverage reinforced EPWater's leadership in water innovation. That's truly gratifying."

Jonathan Gurwitz, Partner · K Harvey Brand Partners

Frequently asked questions

The Pure Water Center is the first advanced water purification facility of its kind in the U.S. — designed to strengthen El Paso's water future by turning treated water into high-quality drinking water through direct potable reuse. Its 2025 groundbreaking marked a major milestone in El Paso Water's long-term plan to secure sustainable supply for a desert community.

K Harvey Brand Partners used Nexis Newsdesk and Nexis Media Contacts (powered by Agility) to identify and engage relevant journalists, monitor coverage and sentiment in real time, analyse social conversations and refine messaging as needed, and capture and report on performance for key stakeholders.

For utilities introducing science-based but unfamiliar technologies like direct potable reuse, near real-time media and social listening helps shape messaging, address misconceptions early, and demonstrate measurable impact to leadership and the communities being served.

Yes. As water scarcity becomes more urgent across the Southwest and beyond, EPWater's approach — combining infrastructure investment with transparent, insight-driven communication — stands as a replicable model for other communities facing similar challenges.

Searching in native languages means analysts capture nuances that often get lost in translation — particularly important for consultancies advising clients on cross‑border reputation, public diplomacy or crisis response.