DELCORA
Category: Community & Stakeholder Relations – Listening sessions
Industry: Wastewater Management
The Challenge
DELCORA, the wastewater authority serving 46 municipalities across Delaware and Chester Counties, proposed an 8.5-mile underground transport tunnel to replace costly reliance on the Philadelphia Water Department. While the project promised long-term community benefits, residents, especially in Chester, feared odor increases, displacement, traffic disruption, wetland destruction, and other impacts. DELCORA needed a clear, transparent way to explain the project’s benefits, address misconceptions, and gather community feedback ahead of municipal approval.
Our Approach
We developed a community engagement program centered on accessible, well-publicized listening sessions across the region.
What Our Team Did:
- Coordinated four public meetings with local township and borough leaders
- Facilitated a virtual meeting with government officials and constituents to identify top community concerns
- Designed flyers, print ads, and social posts to promote meeting attendance
- Created simplified handouts, graphics, and posters translating complex engineering language into clear visuals
- Assisted in developing the presentation deck and informational materials
- Tracked attendance, monitored livestream questions, and compiled detailed meeting summaries
- Monitored online conversations and addressed additional concerns on DELCORA’s social media channels
The Results:
- Exceeded attendance goals with 128 residents participating across four meetings
- Secured 43 of 46 municipal approvals within three months of meetings
- Received direct positive feedback from residents who appreciated DELCORA’s transparency and willingness to engage
- Helped reduce misinformation and clarify key environmental and infrastructure concerns