过去几年，东湾市政公用事业区的水质管理 （EBMUD）和其他公用设施的特点是出现污染物，例如 MTBE（甲基叔丁基醚）是汽油成分，NDMA （N-硝基二甲胺）疑似消毒副产品。化学品使用增加 在当今社会，分析化学和健康研究的进步将 使新出现的污染物成为公用事业的一个持续问题。 本文探讨了一种通用方法在应对新兴市场中的应用 污染物和使用这种方法的MTBE案例研究。其次，论文将 处理采取这种方法所需的公共信息活动 新出现的污染物是成功的。本文论述了公共信息工作的各个方面，包括: 方法 开发用于处理新出现的污染物；MTBE行动计划；还有，公众 行动计划的外联部分，包括媒体、公开会议、账单填充者和 特别邮件、消费者信心报告和水库的帖子。包括2个参考文献、图表。

In the past few years, water quality management at East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) and other utilities has been characterized by emerging contaminants, such as MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether) a gasoline component, and NDMA (N-nitrodimethylamine) a suspected disinfection byproduct. Increased use of chemicals in present-day society as well as advancements in analytical chemistry and health research will make emerging contaminants an on-going issue for utilities. This paper examines the application of a generic approach to dealing with emerging contaminants and a case study of MTBE using this approach. Secondly, the paper will deal with the public information activities that are required to make this approach to emerging contaminants successful. In this paper all aspects of the public information effort are addressed and include: the approach developed to deal with emerging contaminants; the MTBE action plan; and, the public outreach portion of the action plan, including media, public meeting, bill stuffers, and special mailings, the Consumer Confidence Report and postings at reservoirs. Includes 2 references, figures.