AFFILIATE SPOTLIGHT: Granite State Rural Water Association
The information contained in this article is not intended as legal advice and may no longer be accurate due to changes in the law. Consult NHMA's legal services or your municipal attorney.
Background
Granite State Rural Water Association (GSRWA) is a trade association for New Hampshire's water and wastewater utilities. Our mission is “to provide its water and wastewater members with professional technical assistance, training, legislative representation, and liaison with agencies through its state and national programs.” GSRWA is a 501c (6) tax exempt corporation. For over 20 years GSRWA has provided on-site technical assistance and training programs for the public water and wastewater industry in New Hampshire. GSRWA is the only nonprofit organization in New Hampshire that provides all of the following services to both public drinking water and wastewater systems and operators: on-site technical assistance, training classes, access to specialized equipment, and legislative representation at both the federal and state levels.
Who do we serve?
We serve New Hampshire’s drinking water and wastewater utilities and their personnel. We work with municipalities, schools, coops, and other entities that have public drinking water and/or wastewater systems.
GSRWA collaborates with many agencies including New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services, New Hampshire Community Loan Foundation, USDA Rural Development, New Hampshire Municipal Association, US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1, and other state organizations. We have also worked closely with a range of organizations including New Hampshire Association of Campgrounds, watershed associations, regional planning commissions, and conservation organizations, such as Trust for Public Land or Lake Sunapee Protective Association.
What services do we provide?
We help these utilities by providing on-site technical assistance in the form of operational and managerial support. Specific examples include helping systems conduct rate studies, finding leaks in drinking water systems, proactively protecting sources of drinking water from contamination, trouble- shooting treatment options, mapping distribution lines and applying for grants. We provide professional training classes around the state so that water and wastewater operators can maintain their licenses. These classes are notably affordable, convenient, and have great information. GSRWA also advocates on behalf of drinking water and wastewater systems at the state and federal levels. In New Hampshire we have recently been following with interest the development of the Drinking Water Trust Fund as New Hampshire's newest source of funding for drinking water utilities.
Membership
GSRWA has three types of membership classifications: System Members, Individual Members, and Associate Members. System Members are drinking water or waste water utilities, Individuals are drinking water professionals, and Associate Members are companies that provide products and services. GSRWA has approximately 270 members. Benefits of membership include vehicle fleet discounts, discounts on insurance products through Davis and Towle Insurance, and discounts on training classes and conferences to name a few. If you would like more information about GSRWA, please give us a call at (603) 756-3670. We look forward to hearing from you!