Desalination mega-projects face significant public and environmental scrutiny. Its outcome substantially depends on the marketing and public engagement campaign, a crucial part of the mega-project initiation.
Two unsuccessful campaigns in the USA are the Huntington Beach project ($1.4 billion, 2022) and the Corpus Christi one ($US1.2 billion, 2025). Both have been canceled due to environmental and community concerns.
The campaign is part of a broader inbound marketing that focuses on attracting customers by creating and sharing valuable, relevant content and experiences that address their needs and solve their problems.
Logically, the campaign starts after the feasibility studies, with a focus on public education regarding the project's necessity, benefits, and inner workings, and building public trust through intent and execution transparency and collaboration with stakeholders.
Journey to both destinations – public education and trust - heavily relies on the public accessibility of the mega-project feasibility study results. They should address a broad range of issues, from the principles of ecologically safe design to the quality of the final product to unique design features and technological advances. Data transparency moves public conversation from emotional opposition to informed discussion about risk mitigation and long-term value.
The public web interface (PWI) to the mega-project data should prioritize two-way communication and offer information on the following points to registered users.
- Project team
- Questions submission & FAQ
- Summary of feasibility studies
- Project executive summary
- Detailed description of the plant processes and systems
- Plant layout
- Principle P&IDs
- Noise emission map
- Reliability data
- Project cost breakdown
- Digital twin simulating the plant operation
- Environmental mitigation plan
- Environmental metrics collection and sharing