GREASE AVENGER (SEWER SYSTEM SUPERHERO) APPEARS AND THE “FOG” BEGINS TO CLEAR – THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES' OUTREACH PROGRAMS EQUATE TO TRUST AND SUCCESS

Community participation has become an essential component of wastewater system management. There has been a nationwide shift in public participation in wastewater system management and operation such that public works managers can no longer work in a vacuum and/or only during the required environmental impact reporting process. The community now expects and demands to have a say in the things we do and the projects that impact them. Proactively sharing information with the community on a voluntary basis is no longer a choice. As public works managers, sharing our successes and failures and the lessons learned, in a forum such as that provided to us by WEFTEC 2003, will enable us to re-educate and prepare ourselves to once again take the lead to actively and effectively involve the community, voluntarily and willingly, in the projects that impact their quality of life.