Rural Water - Quarter 1, 2008 - (Page 46)

One recent example of our grassroots success was when the U.S. Senate invited Rural Water to be one of four organizations to testify about the impact of the Clean Water Act on local governments. Our representative, the mayor of Carencro, La., just outside of Lafayette, made the point to the U.S. Senate that small communities struggling to comply with federal mandates take care of our infrastructure, finance the cost of running water and sewer systems and at the same time keep water rates from over- whelming our citizens, especially our low-income populations. He explained that small communities make up the overwhelming majority of water and wastewater utilities – more than 90 percent of regulated communities. He testified that due to a lack of economies of scale, small-town consumers often pay high water and sewer rates. Water bills of $50 to $100 are not uncommon in rural areas. This dynamic often results in very high compliance costs per household in rural systems. Due to a lack of economies of scale, small-town consumers often pay high water and sewer rates. Water bills of $50 to $100 are not uncommon in rural areas. This dynamic often results in very high compliance costs per household in rural systems. Simultaneously, the rural areas have a greater percentage of the nation’s poor and a lower median household income. This results in very high compliance costs per household in rural systems, coupled with a lesser ability to pay. Small communities often have limited technical and administrative resources to deal with compliance and navigate through funding programs. In the smallest systems, one person may run both the water and sewer system, and in some cases, communities can only afford a part-time or volunteer operator. This lack of resources makes small systems a challenge for state agencies – the more complicated we make funding programs, the more likely the small communities, which need the funds most, will not be able to participate. The mayor urged the Senate to look at new policies and legislation for assisting small and rural communities with water quality, financing and compliance and to consider dedicating a significant portion of the funding to small systems because they generally need it more. You can read the full text of the mayor’s testimony and watch a video of the hearing on the U.S. Senate Committee Web site (http://epw.senate.gov). Our strength is our ability to organize at the grassroots level; by having thousands of small-community representatives organize together with a common message and petition their elected officials in Washington, we can be heard. Our success is directly related to our local volunteers’ ability to persuade their congressmen and senators. m 46 • First Quarter 338884_Gorman.indd 1 2008 7/18/07 8:10:35 PM http://epw.senate.gov

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Rural Water - Quarter 1, 2008

Rural Water - Quarter 1, 2008 Contents From the President Afterburn: Nexters' Impact in the Workplace Retirement Will Have to Wait From Sewage, Added Water for Drinking Rural Water and the Farm Bill Fiduciary Responsibility: It's All About Trust Water Industry Supports International Rural Water Association Regulatory Update The Rural Water Washington Rally in April Throwing My Loop A Precious Thing Called Water Index to Advertisers Advertisers.com From the CEO

Rural Water - Quarter 1, 2008

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