Ground Water and Onsite Waste Water Recycling Groups to Collaborate

The National Ground Water Association (NGWA) and the National On-site Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) announced a memorandum of understanding today that sets the stage for expanded collaborative technical programming between the two organizations and their memberships.

NGWA is the world’s largest association representing the ground water industry. Its 15,000 members include many of the world’s leading public and private sector ground water scientists, engineers, water well contractors, manufacturers and suppliers. NOWRA is the largest organization within the United States dedicated solely to educating and representing industry interests of more than 70,000 practitioners within the on-site and decentralized wastewater industry.

“NGWA recognizes the integral relationship between water well systems and on-site wastewater technology and their mutual responsibilities to the hydrologic cycle,” said Kevin McCray, NGWA executive director. “We are looking to this new working relationship between ourselves and the National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association as a sturdy bridge between our respective technologies, industries, and the professionals employed there.

“It makes sense for us to work jointly to protect watersheds,” McCray added. “There is a great need for planners, regulators, developers, builders and consumers to have a deeper understanding of our industries’ effective technologies. Our organizations will work together to deliver that critical knowledge.”

In the United States, more than 13 million households are supplied drinking water by privately owned individual water well systems, while on-site wastewater technology serves nearly 22 million households, according to the U.S. Bureau of the Census’ 2003 American Housing Survey.

NGWA’s mission is to advance the expertise of all industry professionals and to further ground water awareness and protection through education and outreach. NOWRA’s new strategic mission is to “advance and grow the industry by promoting sustainable wastewater management within a watershed framework, through education, training and outreach.”

NOWRA announced the new collaboration during the general session of its annual conference, which began Monday and runs through Thursday in Cleveland, Ohio.

Source: NGWA