What People Learn About Drinking Water Disruptions From Local Newspapers

Key Takeaways News coverage is an important avenue for the public to learn about infrastructure vulnerabilities. Analysis of 10years of newspaper coverage of disruptions to drinking water service in North Carolina reveals low frequency of reporting about such events and no trend over time. Hurricanes and weather-related events accounted for a small portion of reported disruptions. Newspaper coverage can help build public and political support for actions to reduce water system vulnerability.