Create a problem, then offer the solution. It’s a marketing strategy that has been around forever.
In today’s age of AI-generated junk, manufacturing problems and sparking outrage or worry has become easier than ever. Building tailored websites with content aimed at specific groups, regions or other segments requires little work: Enter a few prompts into your AI platform of choice and let it run.
This is not a theoretical issue. AI-generated junk carries real-world consequences because it muddies the waters of our information ecosystem. When fact becomes hard to separate from fiction, our community depends on accurate reporting from our local media outlets, particularly when the stakes are significant.
And when it comes to the essential services delivered by the Eugene Water & Electric Board, the stakes are always significant. Safe, dependable, affordable and environmentally sound water and electricity are vital to our public health, economic stability and quality of life.
Electricity fuels our community’s economic activity through lighting, heating, cooling, refrigeration, computing and basic financial transactions. And water forms the bedrock of public health, for hospitals treating patients, parents preparing baby formula and all of us drinking from the tap.
That is why EWEB was so disappointed to see a recent article in The Register-Guard about a “report” from the website townwatercheck.com assigning Eugene’s water quality a B grade. Townwatercheck.com is not a government agency or accredited lab, but rather a website that recommends water filters and earns a commission on qualifying purchases.
As a municipal water supplier, EWEB is tasked with providing accurate water quality information to the 200,000 people we serve. Water quality data from EWEB’s thorough testing is posted on our website and on state-run websites for public access.
And even though EWEB is an “Outstanding Performer” according to the Oregon Health Authority, townwatercheck.com arbitrarily gave Eugene a B for water quality based on three factors: Lead, chromium, and trihalomethanes. Here are the facts:
Lead: There is no lead in the water EWEB delivers to homes. However, some homes, especially older ones, may have plumbing components that contain lead. There are several no-and-low-cost options for residents to reduce their risk related to lead exposure from home plumbing systems on EWEB’s website at eweb.org/lead.
Chromium: The website misreports the value of chromium in water produced by EWEB at 30 parts per billion. The actual level is 1.8 parts per billion, well below the regulatory limit of 100 parts per billion.
Trihalomethanes: Eugene’s water is well below limits set by regulatory agencies.
The townwatercheck.com website bears the hallmarks of AI-generated junk: copy-paste text, fabrications that misrepresent facts, and unrelated captions for photos that do not show the towns and cities they claim to portray.
By claiming that water quality is poor for various cities nationwide, the website manufactures a problem and instills fear in readers. Then, it sells them a solution: water filters. Each city’s webpage contains affiliate links to various water filters, meaning townwatercheck.com profits directly when readers conclude their water isn’t safe and then buy a filter.
A quote in townwatercheck.com’s press release distributed nationally drives home the point, while making a careful qualification: “An F does not mean the water is undrinkable,” said Daniel Rudy, a digital marketer and founder of townwatercheck.com.
“It means a certified home water filter is probably a good idea.”
As a former local journalist for the daily newspaper of record in Orange County, California, I know how challenging it is to sift through the spin of dozens if not hundreds of press releases per day and to develop interesting, accurate and timely stories under tight deadlines. And today’s journalists must produce more stories under greater pressure and with fewer resources.
That work is critically important because in this new era of mass-produced AI-generated junk we need information literacy, reliable facts and local journalism more than ever. Together, they form the guardrails of productive social discourse, allowing us to make informed choices, especially when the stakes are high. Through this lens, a profiteering, fear-mongering website seemingly created with AI should not be considered a reliable source of information, especially on something as important as water quality.
Because as someone who has lived in six states, I can tell you: Eugene has some of the safest, cleanest, tastiest water around.
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