MetWet?

Everyone has had a chuckle over reports of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California paying $30,000 for a survey to find the Met (or MWD, as it also is called) a nickname and an eye-catching logo. The idea was to sharpen the Met’s public image. As with most things, it’s not quite as simple as that. The $30,000 went for a three-part public-opinion survey to measure the people’s attitudes about water development and water use.

A similar poll in 1983 disclosed, not surprisingly, that about 65% of all Southern Californians were not aware that MWD (Met, if you prefer) supplies water wholesale to local water districts--27 of them, in fact, which in turn sell the water retail to an estimated 13 million people.

One mistake that Met officials certainly made was to survey about 30 media representatives concerning suggested nicknames like MetWater, CalTap and MetTap. Anyone could have predicted the uproar, outrage and good old guffaws. The Met then seems to have reacted too defensively to the snickers.

At least Met has not turned, so far, to Disney Enterprises for a mascot similar to “Aqua Duck,” the yellow-slickered sidekick of one water district. The happy little waterfowl goes around on large lapel buttons urging, “Use Water Wisely.” Anyway, Met’s formal title will remain the same. Good thing, or else state law would have to be changed. Think of the fun that some Northern California legislators could have with that.

MWD does want Southern Californians to better understand what it does and the role that it plays in importing their local water supplies from the north and the Colorado River. One way, the officials believe, is to build a stronger political base among its water users when it comes time to fight new battles in Sacramento. For that purpose, they’d probably like to be known as “Mighty Met.”