Why Should I Join
The rural water and wastewater industry face many challenges now and in the future due to increasingly complex regulations. These regulations place an increasing technical and financial burden on small communities and systems. Rural communities and systems must stay informed to keep up with changing laws and regulations governing their systems. Operators, managers, board members, and owners must maintain an adequate level of training to deal with these changes. NYRWA offers numerous services and educational opportunities in order to make this possible. We welcome communities and utilities to join our association. Click here for an on-line membership application. Please note that our dues are not deductible as a charitable contribution.
Membership Advantages
On-Site Technical Assistance
NYRWA employs field staff that provides water and wastewater training and on-site technical assistance to NYRWA members year-round. When a member seeks assistance, one of these experts is dispatched, free of charge, to help resolve the problem. Field staff provide assistance with such items as reporting, preventative maintenance, needs assessment, leak detection, line/valve location, rate analysis, budgeting, treatment plant troubleshooting, laboratory procedures, smoke testing, source water and wellhead protection, and solid waste management.
Communication
Through our quarterly magazine, "Aquafacts", members stay up to date on water related news and association activities. Columns by staff members and other experts address technical, managerial and legal matters of interest to utilities. Members can also take advantage of a wide variety of financial, operational, administrative and technical manuals available from the NYRWA office. In addition, we disseminate timely information through our newsletters and our website.
Education
NYRWA offers a comprehensive technical training program for water and wastewater operators, managers and board members. Members receive announcements of continuing education training sessions via email. All of the training sessions for operator certification renewal offered by NYRWA are approved by NYSDOH and NYSDEC. Members receive discounted prices on registration to NYRWA's one day training sessions and our annual technical conference.
Liaison Services
NYRWA works with the New York State Department of Health, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Rural Development Administration and other state and federal governmental entities that influence water, wastewater, and solid waste policies in New York. NYRWA closely monitors the rules and regulations promulgated by these agencies to make sure they are reasonable and necessary. In addition, NYRWA tracks state and federal legislation, and works hard to express our opinions on behalf of members in New York. We provide a viable voice for rural utilities and small communities in New York State.
