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9808

The Power of Partnership: Sharing Resources with Neighboring Systems

1.5

Drinking Water and Wastewater

Environmental Finance Center Network

Cristen Crew

cgcrew@syr.edu

Ext.

Partner Website

Small water and wastewater systems face unique challenges, from aging infrastructure and staffing shortages to limited budgets and higher per capita costs. Meeting regulatory obligations and customer expectations can be daunting, but collaboration offers a powerful solution. The purpose of this course is to introduce participants to the value of partnerships and regional approaches, equipping them with tools and examples to pursue cooperative strategies that improve overall system performance and resilience.

Basic thru Advanced

This training explores how partnerships, peer-to-peer exchange, and regional approaches can help small systems overcome common obstacles. Participants will learn about various collaboration models, including informal information sharing, shared resources, mutual aid agreements, and regionalization strategies. Through case studies, and group discussion, participants will identify barriers to collaboration and develop actionable strategies to begin fostering successful collaborations and enhancing their system’s capacity to meet community needs.

While this training will focus primarily on drinking water systems, many of the strategies and tools discussed are also applicable to wastewater systems. We encourage participation from: • Managers, owners, and operators of water systems with an average daily flow of less than 1 million gallons • Decision-makers for utilities, including mayors, finance officers, utility managers, public works directors, city councilors, board members, tribal council members, and clerks • Consultants and technical assistance providers serving drinking water systems

Virtual Synchronous