The National Onsite Wastewater Recycling Association (NOWRA) has selected Arnall Golden Gregory LLP (AGG) to represent its interests on Capitol Hill and at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and other regulatory agencies.

While several members of that firm will contribute to the effort, Thomas Cassidy will be NOWRA’s lead lobbyist. Cassidy has considerable experience representing the water and wastewater industry before Congress and the EPA. Over his more than 30-year career, Cassidy has worked as a staffer on Capitol Hill, a lobbyist for several Washington, D.C., law firms, and in various government relations roles in the private sector, including for large companies in the wastewater industry.

“We are thrilled to have someone with Tom Cassidy’s background leading our effort. His vast network of contacts in our industry and his track record of success for his clients should serve us well,” says NOWRA President Tom Fritts.

NOWRA’s lobbying efforts will be directed by a Board of Governors consisting of NOWRA’s Executive Committee, the chairs of its Government Relations and Business Benefit Program committees (respectively, Robert Himschoot of Crews Environmental and Carl Thompson of Infiltrator Systems), and major donors to the lobbying effort. The Board of Governors will work directly with AGG and will make all policy and strategy recommendations.

At press time, confirmed donors to the effort included: SJE-Rhombus, Norweco, Jet Inc., Kansas Small Flows Association, Infiltrator and Advanced Drainage Systems, Crews Environmental and Septic Systems Express. A number of additional companies have indicated they, too, plan to join the effort.

The goals of the lobbying push are:

• Increase the market share of new construction where onsite/decentralized treatment is used from 30 to 35 percent.
• Increase federal funding support for the onsite/decentralized industry for infrastructure repair and other important needs.
• Influence the EPA to establish more policies favoring onsite/decentralized systems.

NOWRA’s lobbying effort is expected to be a long-term, regular activity of the association going forward. Successful lobbying operations require patience and a long-term view. Education of stakeholders will be critical. It is remarkable how little knowledge there is on Capitol Hill, and even at the EPA, about onsite/decentralized wastewater treatment and its benefits. If we want to be taken seriously – and we do – we need to be constantly educating and re-educating Congress and the regulators about our business.

We have a terrific story to tell. Onsite and decentralized wastewater treatment represents more than a quarter of our nation’s permanent wastewater infrastructure. It is a sustainable, environmentally friendly technology; it can be constructed and operated less expensively than central sewer in most instances; it protects public health; and it uses the same treatment technologies as publicly owned sewage treatment facilities. It is often the only viable treatment choice in rural communities, but it also works well in suburban and urban areas.

As public utilities grapple with huge infrastructure repair and replacement issues in the next several decades, onsite/decentralized technologies can be deployed in a variety of ways that cost-effectively deal with capacity constraints and the need to serve new customers not located near public sewers. More and more utilities are embracing a distributed infrastructure approach, and we are ideally suited to help them implement that approach.

Hiring AGG is an important step for NOWRA, but it is only one of several activities likely needed for NOWRA’s efforts to be successful. The association will also concentrate on additional areas to take advantage of whatever lobbying victories are achieved:

• Develop a grassroots lobbying strategy. It’s important to get NOWRA members engaged in communicating with their elected representatives. Money talks in Congress but so do votes. Members will react favorably to personal appeals by their constituents.
• Help state onsite organizations that currently do not lobby at the state level to develop the skills to lobby for changes in state rules and regulations. This will help onsite/decentralized interests to take advantage of any victories at the federal level.
• Development of a broad range of public relations efforts to key stakeholders in Washington, D.C., and those outside of Washington who are involved in the infrastructure decision-making process.

“This is not a sprint; it’s a marathon,” says Himschoot. “We have a big task ahead of us, but we are confident that we can create beneficial changes in Washington.”