Case Study: Indian Wells Valley Water District achieves rapid emergency outreach and 86.5% engagement with Vertexone's Group Messenger

Embracing Digital Messaging

Indian Wells Valley Water District, serving roughly 12,000 accounts in Ridgecrest, CA, faced an emergency after July 2019 earthquakes damaged a level sensor, causing water discoloration and forcing wells out of production. With limited supply and an urgent need to notify residents, the district turned to Vertexone and its Group Messenger module in the WaterSmart Utility Analytics Dashboard instead of relying on slow door‑hanger outreach.

Using Vertexone's Group Messenger, IWVWD staff drew a polygon to target more than 7,500 affected accounts and sent personalized email, SMS and automated voice messages within minutes. The campaign delivered a combined open rate of 86.5% (versus an industry average of about 41%), saved hours of field work, reduced complaint calls, and improved operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Indian Wells Valley Water District

Jason Lillion

Operations Manager