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Education: Scenes from ARWO Summit 2025

Thursday, January 30, 2025

ARWO Analyzes Current Issues and Regionalization Trends at Annual Summit

A range of critical issues facing regional water organizations were explored and analyzed in January at the Association of Regional Water Organizations (ARWO) Summit 2025.

Each year ARWO draws more than 50 leaders from dozens of regional water organizations across the nation to this event, held this year January 27-29 at the Sirata Beach Resort in St. Pete Beach, Florida.

Summit sponsors were CoBank, Hazen and Sawyer, Delco Water Company, EJ Water Cooperative, and El Paso Water.

ARWO President Tad Bohannon, Chief Executive Officer of Central Arkansas Water, quickly observed, “We're seeing excellent peer-to-peer connections and dialogue to share challenges and potential solutions.”

In his opening remarks, Bohannon spoke to some of the uncertainty facing the water industry this year, explaining that in his state of Arkansas, the legislature is already filing bills to align the state with federal policies. A significant bill affecting the water industry proposes removing a state mandate requiring the use of fluoride in water passed in 2014.

Instead, local jurisdictions would decide if they want to use fluoride in water and any government entity within the local area could call an election to determine whether or not a system should put fluoride in the water system.

For regional water organizations, this presents unique challenges because water service territories do not align with election district boundaries.

Bohannon also spoke about ongoing trends toward regionalization and consolidation in the water industry, which will likely accelerate in coming years due to regulatory requirements and economic pressures.

He highlighted the value of communication between water organizations and sharing knowledge to help all utilities move forward.

The ARWO Summit 2025 delivered this knowledge in two days of focused sessions on these topics:

  • Crisis management through hurricanes and floods
  • Affordability and alternative pricing
  • How a regional water study informs infrastructure and investment
  • Creating and operating water management districts
  • Best Practices for water and sewer system acquisitions
  • Implementing cybersecurity protection
  • Customer service innovations
  • Leveraging artificial intelligence functionality in call centers
  • Revamping customer information systems and building customer engagement
  • Implementing third-party building
  • Building a positive workplace culture
  • Employee development and training

Summit attendees also toured the Pinellas County South Cross Bayou Advanced Water Treatment Facility.