Alaska Rural Water Association has a staff of five, full-time professionals, providing a variety of services to small water and wastewater systems and operators throughout Alaska.  ARWA currently provides five distinct programs:

• Technical Assistance and Training (TAT): a grant sub-award provides funding from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  This program provides formal training to water operators and utility personnel through classroom-style and one-on-one trainings and seminars in all regions of rural Alaska. 

• Source Water Protection Specialist (SWP): a grant sub-award provides funding from the United States Department of Agriculture. (USDA) This program seeks to develop consensus among the stakeholders of various surface and ground water sources throughout Alaska to develop source water protection plans for ensuring the safety of water sources used primarily for drinking water.  This program also provides outreach to communities in order to educate community members and the youth of that community.

• Circuit Rider I & II Positions (CRI & CRII):   Funding is provided for both of these positions by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant sub-award.  The circuit riders travel throughout the state to provide on-site “over the shoulder” technical assistance to drinking water operators of small utilities.  The technical assistance can range from operations and maintenance guidance to help with regulatory compliance or emergency response situations. 

• Wastewater Technical Assistance and Training Circuit Rider:  The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) grant sub-award provides this funding.  This wastewater circuit rider travels throughout the state to provide on site technical assistance to wastewater operators of small utilities.  This program started in August 2006.  Technical assistance can range from operations and maintenance guidance to help with regulatory compliance or emergency response situations. 

A closer look at the performance of these five programs will convince even the most skeptical person that the funds consigned to ARWA is money well spent, with an enormous return on each dollar expended.