Featured Projects

From 2009 – 2017, Aqua Community Relations Group operated as Humanability Communications. We have conducted outreach and engagement for dozens of infrastructure projects, as well as resources, planning and policy programs. The selection below illustrates some of our most common activities.

Waterways Maintenance Plan - Citywide

Aqua is facilitating a series of public workshops to help the City of San Diego Transportation and Storm Water Department inform and consult with stakeholders throughout its process to develop a systematic permitting and maintenance approach for managing the City’s storm water facilities. Working with Michael Baker International and Dudek Engineers, Aqua provides public outreach, collateral materials, social media, branding, editing, meeting planning, and meeting facilitation services. To learn more about this effort, visit the City of San Diego’s Waterways Maintenance Plan web page.

Mission Gorge Road Settlement Emergency Repair Project

Aqua (Humanability) provided community relations and public outreach for this City of San Diego transportation project. After receiving reports that the road was settling, the City closed four of the road’s six traffic lanes to conduct an investigation of underground conditions, determine causes of the failure, and determine the best course of action. The project required groundwater monitoring wells and extensive site evaluation, as well as groundwater removal before work could commence. We worked with nearby businesses and residents to help mitigate impacts, provided updates to the community and media about detours and project milestones, and managed the extensive volume of calls and emails related to impacts on this heavily traveled commuter corridor.

City Council Redistricting – Citywide, San Diego

he Aqua (Humanability) team worked with the San Diego Redistricting Commission and Chief of Staff to increase public participation in the process to add a 9th City Council District and adjust District boundaries based on census data. The team developed a strategic outreach plan that expanded participation opportunities within tight budget, policy and timeline constraints. We created materials that reduced barriers related to literacy, language, experience, time, transportation, and location, and provided stakeholder training for an online mapping tool. Our approach included alternative participation methods that welcomed input from constituents who were unable to attend public meetings. With our help, the Commission gathered 16,000 public inputs and produced a map free of legal challenges.

Campo Road Sewer Replacement Project – East County

Aqua is working with Otay Water District and Rick Engineering to minimize community impacts from installing 1.75 miles of new 15-inch-diameter sewer main along State Route 94 between Rancho San Diego Village and Cuyamaca College. The project incorporates shutdowns to accommodate sensitive bird nesting seasons, and moves the pipeline out of sensitive open space. Aqua’s services include community relations planning, meetings with key stakeholders, and presentations. We are working closely with the community planning groups for Valle de Oro, Spring Valley and Jamul Dulzura, County Supervisor Jacob’s and Assemblymember Voepel’s offices, Skyline Church, Cuyamaca College, and retailers and businesses in several Rancho San Diego centers. Our ongoing efforts include producing notices, newsletters and web content, as well as responding to project inquiries.

Scripps Ranch Water Pump Station

The Aqua (Humanability) team worked closely with Scripps Ranch community leaders and other stakeholders to identify concerns and mitigate issues related to design and construction for a new pump station and water pipelines adjacent to the City’s Miramar Reservoir. We met with business owners, residents and school employees to identify ways to minimize community disruption, and to answer questions prior to blasting operations. The team prepared a communications plan, assisted the team with obtaining architectural approval, and produced fact sheets and web content. We also provided construction notices and updates, project newsletters, community briefings, and comments collection.