Water System Partnerships: Opportunities to Solve

Transcript:Water System Partnerships: Opportunities to Solve:
Water System Partnerships: Opportunities to Solve Water System Challenges Office of Water, U.S. EPA 1 Purpose for Today You may have been invited to attend today because: Your water system, or water systems in your community, might benefit from water system partnerships You might help interested water systems form partnerships You might be interested in learning how partnerships could help your community at large 2 Partnerships Checklist The Partnerships Checklist can help you determine if you or water systems in your community could benefit from a partnership Is your water system or a water system in your community… ☐ Struggling to meet TMF capacity? ☐ Facing similar challenges as a nearby water system? ☐ Within 5-10 miles of another water system? ☐ Currently working with another water system either directly or indirectly (e.g., providing treatment chemicals, sharing an operator)? ☐ Able to share and expand upon strengths to help other water systems (e.g., strong TMF capacity)? 3 Part 1: What are water system partnerships? 4 4 Water System Partnerships Any informal or formal relationship/agreement between water systems They can: Assist small and mid-size water systems in overcoming unique challenges Build technical, managerial, and financial capacity for water systems Provide a wide range of opportunities for water systems to work together Let’s discuss! How are water systems in your community partnering already? 5 Partnerships Build TMF Capacity Capacity is the ability to plan for, achieve, and maintain compliance with applicable water standards Includes sufficient capabilities in three areas: Technical (T) Managerial (M) Financial (F) Partnerships can help water systems overcome barriers to meeting capacity 6 Increasing Transfer of Responsibility 7 Informal Cooperation Coordinated activity without contractual obligations Purchase chemicals in bulks Share equipment Create informal mutual aid agreements without contractual obligations Share contacts when there are questions Example Thirty-five municipal water systems in Massachusetts purchase laboratory supplies and chemicals together. The water systems take turns fulfilling key roles in the buying process so that each can maintain institutional knowledge and autonomy. 8 Contractual Assistance Contract with another water system or service provider Purchasing water from another water system Contracting out O&M to another water system Formal Mutual Aid Agreements such as Water/Wastewater Agency Response Networks Example A village in Illinois did not have a sufficient water supply to provide adequate fire protection for the town. Water supply concerns as well as infrastructure needs led the village to contract all public works