Engaging and Retaining Membership Through Partnerships and Programs

www.paawwa.org

“Keystone of the Drinking Water Community”

Michael T. Brown, P.E.

Barbara Martin

Outline

• PA Section Overview• Partnership For Safe Water• PAWARN• Operator Training• Membership Specials• Other Programs and Partnering

PA AWWA Overview

• Created in 1948• 1,900 members, 250 operator

members• 150 utility members• 6 Districts with Trustees• Board of Directors• WUC, Ed Tech Council Chairs• 2 full-time staff, 2 part-time

staff, 3 Partnership reps

PA Water Industry

• Approx. 9,000 public water systems serving 11 million people (88% of residents in state)– 10,000 Water Treatment Facilities– 350 Surface Water Filter Plants

• Municipal systems serve approx. 80% of water customers

• Majority of funding is through local rates• Strong SRF Program - Pennvest• Most pressing issue:

– Aging infrastructure

PA AWWA’s Experience using the Partnership for Safe Water to Engage Members and Drive Growth

What do these Utilities have in Common?

PA AWWA Members and Partnership for Safe Water

Subscribers

Partnership for Safe Water

• Partnership for Safe Water mission:– To improve the quality of drinking water delivered

to customers of community water systems by optimizing operations.

• Two programs– Treatment plant optimization (1995) – Distribution system optimization (2011)

• www.awwa.org/partnership

Eligibility

• Treatment program– Surface water filtration plants of all

configurations

• Distribution program– Any system that applies a disinfectant

• Size – no limitations, large or small• AWWA membership not required

AWWA Members

• ~80% of Partnership subscribers are AWWA members

• Partnership subscribers are approximately 5% of all AWWA utility members

• Partnership can be an opportunity to recruit new members

AWWA Members

• Partnership subscribers are engaged members!– 6 Section Chairs– 10 on AWWA Board– Many Trustees and other Section board roles– Well represented among Fuller Awardees

PA AWWA Involvement

• Only 12 Sections with mention of PfSW on website

• Only 3 besides PA have more than a link

PA AWWA Partnership

• 1996: received first sizable grant from PADEP to administer the PfSW in PA– Funds for public relation and education

• Goal to optimize surface water plants and make them more efficient

• Five-year grant at $75,000 per year• Staff 3 Contract/Part-time Partnership Reps to

promote and assist with the program

43

57

79

116 118 117 114109 105 101 106 109

116 118 119

1998'99

'00'01

'02'03

'04'05

'06'07

'08'09

'10'11

'12

Calendar Year

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

Number of Filter Plants

FY 2012/2013

Partnership for Safe WaterPennsylvania Members

Pennsylvania Subscribers

• 119 plants (50 utilities)… most in country! – Serve 87% of PA filter plant

population– 27% of subscribers– 64 award winners– 50% AWWA utility members

• 19 distribution systems – 14% of subscribers– 84% AWWA members

(utility/individual)

“Partnering” in the Partnership

AWWA/PA

AWWA

Water Utility PA DEP

PA DEP grant supports PA AWWA administration of Partnership for Safe Water program.

Support from state, PA-AWWA, and members help to keep the program successful.

Benefits to PA DEP

• Better cooperation and relationships

• Increased compliance• Cost savings

AWWA/PA AWWA

Water Utility PA DEP

% with Commendable Rating

Benefits to Utilities

• Improved water quality and public health protection

• Preparedness• Positive recognition• Consumer confidence & support• Improved internal communications• Operator enthusiasm• Cooperation with other utilities• Cost savings

AWWA/PA AWWA

Water Utility PA DEP

AWWA Benefits

AWWA/PA AWWA

Water Utility PA DEP

• Member engagement• Revenue

Member Engagement• Recognition• Assistance• Training• Networking

=Added Value

PA AWWA recognition for

joining program (York Water Company)

PA AWWA and DEP provide Partnership awards in addition to AWWA awards(Ephrata Area JA receives Directors Award)

PA AWWA Partnership reps Bob Donnelly and Gordon Miller provide onsite assistance

Section Activities have Included• Partnership Mixer – award

ceremony at section conference

• Partnership Summit• Newsletters• Marketing materials• Custom awards• Optimization

conference (2010)• Training• Training credits

PA AWWA’s Phase IV “waterdrop” award

PA AWWA’s15th Anniversary mug

and member directory

Service Providers, too…

• PA AWWA looks to service providers to sponsor Partnership events:– Revenue to support mission and section

activities– Opportunity for vendors to exhibit and present

to a highly engaged utility audience– Networking

Tips for Leveraging Partnership from PA AWWA

• Realize this will be long-term• Work with state/provincial regulators• Provide positive recognition• Add value through Partnership activities• Utilize your AWWA resources

Engaging Members through PAWARN

What is a WARN?

• WARN = Water/Wastewater Aegency Response Network

• Born out of Hurricane Katrina response.• Electric companies were very good at

responding but water/wastewater response was not well organized.

• EPA charged with organizing industry.

What is PaWARN?

• Utilities are organized within the State– By a Mutual Aid Agreement – To assist each other with resources

(personnel or equipment)

• Respond and recover more quickly from natural disasters and other emergencies

What can PaWARN do?

• Supply “industry specific” equipment during emergencies.

• Help alert water systems of cascading emergencies – spills, floods, etc.

• Help water & wastewater systems recover by providing resources and personnel.

Partnering for PaWARN

PaWARN Structure

• PaWARN is a 501(c)3 with a 13 member board made up of PA water and wastewater professionals– Several board members very active in Section including

past chairs

• Advisory members can make recommendations but voting power remains with utility professionals

• Part-time staff• Primarily funded through dues

Who is a WARN?

• Approx. 90 utilities• Approximately 7.5 million Pennsylvania

residents receive their water/wastewater services from PaWARN member systems

• Accounts for about ½ of the state’s population• Roughly ½ are PA_AWWA member utilities

PaWARN in Action

• Dec. 27-28, 2012: Schuylkill County Municipal Authority

• Major main break

PaWARN in Action

• System is running out of water.• Need odd-sized clamp to make the repair.• Emergency request is posted on the

PaWARN website.• Within 3 hours, Northampton Borough

Municipal Authority supplies clamp that enables SCMA to make the repair.

Testimonial

• “We experienced a real emergency that prompted the use of the PaWARN system to assist us. The system worked exactly as designed and we were able to avert disaster.”Patrick Caulfield, Executive Director

Schuylkill County Municipal Authority

How does PA-AWWA Benefit from PA-WARN?

• Recognition• Strengthened relationships amongst utility members

and operators• Collaboration/Cooperation amongst competing

associations• Carry-over to Section Programs

– Partnership– Conferences– Training

Success of Operator Training Program

• Increased training in fall & spring• Partner with PA DEP for new regulation training

– Public notification– Lead & copper– Long-term Disinfection

• Operator Certification Exams• 2-Day Operator Track at Section Conference

– Increased conference attendance

Success of Operator Training Program

• Non-dues revenue– Approx. $70k profit in 2013

• Increased “value” to membership• Opportunity to engage non-member

utilities• Opportunity to reach non-industry

Value of Membership Discounts?

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 20130

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

New Operator Members Operator Members

• 2011: $30; 79 new/95% retention• 2012: $50; 20 new/73% retention• 2013: $72; 15 new/87% retention

• Allow Sections to determine their own fees?

Better Together• Joint training with Sections and other associations:

WWOAP, PMAA,PRWA, WEF and PWEA• Work with organizations to provide additional networking

opportunities for Operators and Young Professionals• Partner with DBIA for conference since 2012

– 10% increase in conference revenue– Positive feedback from attendees and vendors

• Partnering with Neighboring Sections?– ACE Reception– Joint Annual Conference– Challenges

Engagement and Revenue Through Specialty Conferences and Events

• Greatest need for additional revenue is Fall (Annual Conference in Spring)

• Past specialty conferences– National Partnership Summit 2010– Great Lakes Summit 2012 (10 sections participated)– PA Partnership Summit 2013– PA Infrastructure Conference Scheduled for 2014– National Partnership Summit Planned 2015

• District meetings and events

Other Opportunities for Engagement

• WUC– Very active– Value to membership

• Committee restructuring

Keys to Success

• Increase AWWA Operator and Young Professionals memberships.

• Keep membership fees competitive at the Section level…especially for Operators.

• Increase the value of membership.• Keep members engaged and active.• Collaborate with other organizations.• Have the flexibility to provide training to multiple

groups.

Like all Sections…

• Our priority objective is to continue to recruit new members, retain those members, and increase revenue to remain viable.

Questions/Discussion

Mike Brown

mtbrown@gfnet.com

www.paawwa.org