At the request of the NYRWA CEO, the NYRWA Board of Directors recently approved 1% annual membership dues increase, set to begin January 1, 2023. It has been a number of years since NYRWA has increased our membership dues, and we take this action to lessen the burden on our valued members rather than waiting and having a larger one-time increase in the future. We apologize for the inconvenience, but we hope our membership will continue to see the value in the training and technical assistance YOUR association personnel provide.

After several decades of providing initial certification courses for drinking water operators here in NYS, the NYRWA has decided to eliminate all grade levels of the home study initial certification courses effective December 30, 2022. After a lengthy review process, we have determined that the home study offerings no longer meet the requirements for initial certification training. Further, we believe in our goal: To provide operators with the training necessary to meet current and future needs. After review, we do not believe the home study initial certification reflects our goals or provides the trainees with the best training possible to meet their future needs.

We will offer the home study initial certification course until close of business on December 30, 2022. Trainees who enroll in the course prior to December 30, 2022, will have 1 year to complete the course and will still be required to complete a Grade A Compliant Laboratory Training to complete the course. New enrollments after December 30, 2022, will not be accepted.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, especially for our valued members. NYRWA does have an approved Grade D Initial Certification Course and will begin offerings across the state beginning in March 2023. We are also working with the NYSDOH on an approved Grade C Initial Certification Course, which we anticipate offering around summer of 2023.

Thank you to our members for your understanding, and for your continued support of this association.  Together, we will transition to classroom initial certification courses that will meet all requirements and your future needs. This step will allow the NYRWA and our membership to continue to supply…Quality on Tap!

Please save the dates for our 44th Annual Workshop in Lake Placid, May 22-24, 2023!

Sponsorship opportunities are available, review the letter. If interested please complete the sponsorship form and payment with your selection and email to our office nyrwa@nyruralwater.org no later than January 2, 2023, to be included in the list below.

Thank you to our current paid sponsors:

Premier Sponsors
Koester Associates, Inc. - Siewert Equipment

Gold Sponsors
AES Northeast - EJ Prescott - General Control Systems - Naylor Association Solutions

Silver Sponsors
Surpass Chemical Company

It is that time of the year again, time to apply for our scholarship program. As many of you know, each year the NYRWA distributes one-time grants to five students across New York State valued at $500.00 to help defray the cost of tuition, books, or room and board at an accredited institution of higher learning approved by the NYRWA.

This is a member benefit and we appreciate your assistance in ensuring students from your area have this opportunity to apply. In order to be eligible for a scholarship, applicants must complete the application form in its entirety and return it to the NYRWA by the entry postmark deadline, February 3, 2023. All pertinent information on applying are within the official rules, including the requirement to include an essay and student transcripts to be eligible.

The application can be found here: https://nyruralwater.org/downloads/downloads-index, the link is on the right hand side. Please be sure to share this application with anyone that will be attending college in the Fall of 2023.

Have you received water and/or wastewater technical assistance from NYRWA? Have you attended NYRWA in-person or web-based training? Has your system benefited from a Source Water Protection Plan or Energy Efficiency Assessment from NYRWA? If so, WE NEED YOUR HELP!  NYRWA is respectfully asking our system members to draft and submit letters of support for the services you have received. These letters are crucial so we can deliver your message to our elected representatives that more needs to be done to fund water and wastewater infrastructure. Please, we need as many members as possible to draft the support letters on your letterhead and mail to our office at:

NYRWA, Inc.
PO Box 487
Claverack, NY 12513

Let's make this letter writing campaign a huge success, please participate. We thank you in advance for your consideration.

Don't have time to spend traveling to sit in a class all day? The best place to receive renewal web based training is at home or work, whichever your schedule allows. You can work at your own pace. SunCoast Learning Systems offers some great topics that will fit your certification requirement needs. Online courses are New York State approved and offer the flexibility and convenience you are looking for. For more information call 1-800-269-1181 or visit https://www.suncoastlearning.com/courses/ny.

• Bellvale Community
• Forestport Special Water District #1, Town of
• Le Roy, Village of

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