The Texas Water Utilities Association, through its Central Office in Austin, offers a number of services to the subsidiary Regions, Sections, Districts and Chapters - and to the individual members of the Association. Following is some useful information about some of these services:

Printing/Mailing

The Central Office has desktop-publishing computer software and printing equipment, plus a professional printer on staff, and can offer quality printing of a variety of documents for the subsidiaries. Some examples would include promotional fliers for an upcoming educational event, meeting notices, letterhead and envelopes, program booklets, certificates, name tags and even business cards. The cost to your Region, Section, District or Chapter is kept as low as possible, often far below what it would cost to get it done elsewhere.

Meeting Reminders

One of the most popular services is the monthly Meeting Reminders for the Districts and Chapters. A first-class postcard can be mailed to each member of your local District or Chapter at a cost of only 40 cents per member per month. The card can contain the District/Chapter name, the meeting date, the starting time, the meeting location, the program topic, and other brief information. The cards are mailed using first-class postage. The information must be supplied to the Central Office fifteen (15) working days in advance of the meeting. The District or Chapter is billed for this service on a standard invoice each month, and all invoices are payable within 30 days after the invoice date.

Subsidiary Newsletters

The Central Office can also mail a Newsletter for the Regions, Sections, Districts and Chapters. The Newsletter is normally limited to a one-sided 8 1/2" x 11" or 8 1/2" x 14" printed page. The Newsletters are also mailed using first-class postage, and the information must be received by the Central Office fifteen (15) working days in advance of the meeting date. The cost of this service is 42 cents per member per month. If you are interested in having a one page Newsletter printed on both sides, or a multi-page Newsletter, please contact us for a quotation.

Program Assistance

The Central Office maintains a small library of films and slide/tape material on a variety of water and wastewater related topics, which can be "checked-out" by the T.W.U.A. subsidiary units. If there is a special topic in mind - often someone can be suggested who could speak on that subject. If there is no specific program subject in mind, the Executive Director or Training Director can help you identify a topic and then proceed by referring you to a speaker. The Executive Director, and other members of the Central Office Staff, will do everything possible to help secure a quality training program at each meeting of its subsidiaries.

Professional Manuals

The Texas Water Utilities Association water and wastewater operations manuals are internationally recognized as being among the very best. Members of the Texas Water Utilities Association, and the local Districts and Chapters, may purchase these excellent works at reduced rates.

Member Items

The Association offers a number of items designed to instill professional pride in its members and to promote public awareness of the education and training programs in the water utilities profession. A list of these items is provided on the Home Page identified as Member Items. The Central Office can also arrange for balloons, coloring books, brochures, etc. for public education activities, at a very reasonable price. These may be purchased by your District or Chapter or by an individual member. A special 15% discount is available to a District or Chapter on the TWUA Member Items, when they purchase a minimum of $60.00 in Member Items (only). To qualify for the discount, however, payment must accompany the order.

Technical Assistance Publications (TAP's)

The Association publishes a variety of T.A.P.s for the water utilities industry. These are small, "operator-affordable" pamphlets dealing with a specific water and/or wastewater topics. A list of the T.A.P.s which are currently available through the Central Office is provided on the page identified as Publications. The District and Chapters are able to purchase T.A.P.s at quantity discounts to make them available at their monthly meetings. The quantity discount, for T.A.P.s of the same title, are as follows: 10 - 15 copies - 10% discount, 26 - 100 copies - 15% discount, and over 100 copies - 20% discount.

Monthly Publication

To help Association members stay informed about the legislative and regulatory changes being proposed (or having occurred) in our industry, about new trends and technologies, about special events, news items and other matters of interest, the Association produces a monthly magazine (the TEXAS WATER UTILITIES JOURNAL). It is mailed directly to all Association members.

Licensing Information

Any member of the Association can contact the Central Office for information concerning the Texas water and wastewater operator licensing programs. The Executive Director and the Training Coordinator work very closely with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality on a routine basis. The T.W.U.A. Executive Director serves on the TCEQ Advisory Committee for Water Utility Operator Licensing.

Renewal Notices

The Central Office will mail Membership Renewal Notices to all current members of the Texas Water Utilities Association, including members of your District or Chapter, at no charge. This service has been shown to increase membership and to "reveal" address changes needed in the Association's records. The Membership Renewal Notice will inform the member of the total amount of dues which are payable to renew including the Association, the Section (if applicable) and the District or Chapter amounts. Renewal Notices are typically mailed not less than 30-days prior to one's membership expiration date. Soon after the Mid-Year Board Meeting, the Central Office will advise each Region, Section, District and Chapter (by letter) of the Association's dues (only) for the up-coming year. The Central Office must be provided with your District or Chapter dues structure for the up-coming year no later than November 1st.

These and other services are available to you as a local officer through the Association's Central Office. If any District or Chapter has a need for assistance in an area not listed, they should call the Central Office. Chances are, the Staff will be able to help.