Member Benefits | Regional Water Providers Consortium

Member Benefits

Become a Consortium Member

  • Who can join? Water providers in the greater Portland, OR metropolitan area and Southwest WA may request to become Consortium members. View our current members. 
  • How much are member dues? The Consortium is funded by annual membership dues which are generally based proportionately on size. Dues are collected annually in September.
  • What are the benefits of membership? Being a member gives you access to regional programs and tools managed by qualified staff. You can explore regional partnerships, and mutually beneficial solutions with other water providers while retaining your individual decision-making and accountability to your customers. More specific program highlights are listed below.
    • Speak with a unified voice in a shared media market
    • Represent collective interests of drinking water providers and their customers
    • Peer-to-peer learning
    • Save money and reduce risk by pooling resources and working together around common goals
    • Access to grants that support programs and emergency equipment
  • What is involved in being a member? That depends on how much time and resources your entity can dedicate to participating in the Consortium. Members that are active in committee meetings and attend Consortium trainings get the most out of their membership. You will occasionally be asked to contribute information and resources to support our programs and outreach.

 

Learn more about joining the Consortium

  • What is the process to join? Send a letter of request prepared by your city or water district leadership via email. All requests are approved by the Consortium Board which meets in February, June, and October. Consortium staff will give you an estimated timeline when your request is received. 
  • What if I need more information? Please contact us with questions about membership eligibility, dues, time it takes to become a member, benefits, or other aspects of becoming a member of the Regional Water Providers Consortium.
  • How do I learn more about the Consortium’s current work? Attend one of our public meetings to learn more about the Consortium and the work we do. Check this schedule to see when our next meeting is being held.

 

Program Highlights

  • Public Outreach and Water Conservation Programming
    • Run multimedia campaigns focused on water conservation, emergency preparedness, source water protection, and value of water
    • Provide print and digital public education and outreach materials in multiple languages on priority topics
    • Help water providers meet Division 86 state requirements for Water Management and Conservation Plans with accessible programming and resources
    • Participate in regional workshops and events including the Children’s Clean Water Festival
  • Emergency Preparedness and Resiliency
    • Coordinate regional trainings, tabletop exercises, and drills
    • Create and support mutual aid and data sharing agreements
    • Develop resources, studies, and tools to support water provider preparedness
    • Apply for and leverage grants that support members and the region with emergency drinking water supply and outreach
    • Manage the Drinking Water Advisory Tool which is available in five languages and publishes alerts on PublicAlerts.org 
  • Regional Coordination and Partnerships
    • Be a trusted source for drinking water related information
    • Build strong community relationships including a water provider network of peers
    • Connect with regional and state agencies
    • Facilitate regional efforts among water providers that focus on topics such as workforce development, legislative advocacy, and summer supply planning

 

How We Work Together

The Regional Water Providers Consortium celebrated 20 years of working together in 2017, and this video does a great job of highlighting the strengths and successes of our work since 1997.

Regional Water Providers Consortium
1120 SW 5th Ave #405 Portland, OR 97204
Copyright 2023

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