Regional Water Resource Agency

What Regional Water Resource Agency does

Regional Water Resource Agency (RWRA) is a joint City/County government agency established March 1, 1995 in Owensboro, Kentucky, succeeding the Owensboro Sewer Commission. It is the statutorily designated regional provider of wastewater services for Owensboro and Daviess County, Kentucky (excluding the City of Whitesville), operating under a seven-member Board of Directors appointed jointly by the Mayor of Owensboro and the Daviess County Judge-Executive. The agency serves residential, commercial, and industrial customers with mandatory connection requirements once service becomes available, and bills customers either directly or through combined-billing partnerships with Owensboro Municipal Utilities, Daviess County Water District, and East Daviess County Water Association.

RWRA operates two water reclamation facilities: the David W. Hawes Water Reclamation Facility (1722 Pleasant Valley Road) and the Max N. Rhoads Water Reclamation Facility (1201 Ewing Road North), supported by the Joseph A. Murphy Operations Building for collections, maintenance, and engineering. Treatment technology includes biological secondary treatment, ultraviolet light disinfection (converted from chlorination at both plants, with the Max Rhoads project winning the EPA H2O Award in 2019), screw press sludge dewatering (Max Rhoads, 2020), and an ongoing Cured-In-Place-Pipe sewer rehabilitation program in place since 1995. The agency runs an Industrial Pretreatment Program, Fats/Oils/Grease management for food service establishments, and a Long Term Control Plan to reduce combined sewer overflows under the Clean Water Act.

Revenue is generated through a tiered, rate-regulated structure: a base customer service charge scaled by meter size ($22.45-$808.20/month), a volumetric wastewater user charge of $4.69 per 1,000 gallons, an Environmental Improvement Fee of $9.95/month, Capacity and Facilities Compliance fees scaled by meter size, one-time System Development Fees of $2,178 per Equivalent Residential Unit, industrial surcharges for high-strength waste (BOD, TSS, COD, FOG), and connection/demolition permits. A 5-Year Rate Structure implemented in 2023 funds ongoing capital upgrades, including the 2025 completions of major capacity and compliance upgrades at both reclamation facilities, the 2025 acquisition of the adjacent brickyard property at Max Rhoads, and a 2026 Environmental Compliance Office build-out. Since 1995, RWRA has eliminated 24 failing package treatment plants and added approximately 5,000 customers through regional consolidation.

Name

Regional Water Resource Agency

Legal name

Regional Water Resource Agency

Website

https://rwra.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Regional Water Resource Agency is a joint City/County government agency in Owensboro, Kentucky, providing exclusive wastewater treatment and collection services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across Owensboro and Daviess County through two water reclamation facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wastewater Treatment Services

NAICS

Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Reclamation & Reuse Production (Tertiary/Advanced Treatment) (EUANADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Municipal Wastewater Collection (Sewer Networks) (BPALAMAA), Water & Wastewater Infrastructure Asset Management (EUAEAMAH), Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB)

Keywords

• Wastewater treatment services
• Water reclamation services
• Sanitary sewer service
• Industrial pretreatment program
• Combined sewer overflow management

Headquarters

HQ city

Owensboro

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Wastewater User Charges: Base volumetric charges for wastewater service measured per 1,000 gallons of usage ($4.69 per 1,000 gallons) plus fixed monthly charges based on meter size. This is the primary revenue stream from residential, commercial, and industrial customers.
2. System Development Fees: Fees assessed to new customers connecting to modified RWRA system infrastructure (line extensions, lift station upgrades). Current fee is $2,178.00 per ERU with financing options at 4.5% over 20 years.
3. Assessment Fees: Pro-rated construction costs for collection sewer extensions in neighborhoods, apportioned to served properties. Property owners can finance on monthly bill or pay in full.
4. Environmental Improvement Fee: Monthly charge of $9.95 per customer for local water quality improvements and projects. Additional charges for non-residential customers exceeding 15,000 gallons monthly.
5. Capacity and Facilities Compliance Fees: Monthly fees based on meter size funding system capacity improvements and compliance construction projects at treatment plants.
6. Industrial Surcharges: Additional charges for commercial/industrial customers with high-strength waste above discharge limits, including BOD ($0.220/lb), TSS ($0.212/lb), COD ($0.10/lb with multipliers), and FOG ($0.221/lb).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Regional Water Resource Agency is a joint City/County government agency that provides comprehensive wastewater treatment, water reclamation, and sanitary sewer service to residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Owensboro and Daviess County, Kentucky. The agency operates two water reclamation facilities (David W. Hawes and Max N. Rhoads) using biological secondary treatment, UV disinfection, and screw press sludge processing, and delivers related services including industrial pretreatment regulation, combined sewer overflow (CSO) management under a Long Term Control Plan, FOG management, and storm water collaboration with municipal partners.

Product overview

Regional Water Resource Agency (RWRA) is a regional provider of comprehensive wastewater services for Owensboro and Daviess County, Kentucky, operating as a joint City/County agency established in 1995. The agency operates a unified service portfolio centered on water reclamation, with two primary treatment facilities (David W. Hawes Water Reclamation Facility and Max N. Rhoads Water Reclamation Facility) and the Joseph A. Murphy Operations Building. Core services include sanitary sewer service, industrial pretreatment program, combined sewer overflow management, and storm water services delivered through a Long Term Control Plan. Supporting modules encompass billing and rate services, construction/demolition permitting, FOG management, and document center access. The agency also operates a Facilities Compliance Plan funding infrastructure upgrades and maintains a 5-Year Rate Structure supporting treatment plant modernization. In 2019, RWRA received the EPA H2O Award for its Max Rhoads Ultraviolet Project and the Spirit of Kentucky Award for the Friendly Park Sewer Extension project.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Reclamation Services
• Sanitary Sewer Service
• Industrial Pretreatment Program
• Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Management
• Long Term Control Plan (LTCP)
• Downspout Disconnection Program
• Fats, Oils, and Grease (FOG) Management
• Sewer Service Extensions
• Construction and Demolition Permitting
• Industrial Hauler Dumping and Septic Receiving

Quantifiable outcome

• 24 failing package treatment plants eliminated through regional consolidation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Owensboro Municipal Utilities (OMU)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOMU serves as a billing channel partner, including RWRA sewer service charges on monthly water bills for Owensboro customers. RWRA also partners with OMU on stormwater improvement projects to reduce combined sewer overflows.
• Daviess County Water DistrictcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBills for RWRA sewer service on county water bills for customers in Daviess County outside Owensboro city limits.
• East Daviess County Water AssociationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBills for RWRA sewer service on water bills for East Daviess County customers.
• City of OwensborocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple CSO initiatives including stormwater/wastewater separation projects (Harsh Ditch Fairgrounds Area), combined sewer reconstruction (Veteran's Boulevard), drainage improvements (Harsh Ditch, Goetz Ditch, Devins Ditch, Scherm Ditch), and downspout disconnection program. Also partnered on First and Locust Street separation chamber and Daviess County Middle School drainage improvements.
• Daviess County Fiscal CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on Rate Review Board for rate changes, stormwater management, and CSO initiatives. Also appoints three of seven RWRA Board members.
• Green River District Health DepartmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with RWRA in 2005 to construct a detention basin behind the health department facility on Breckenridge Street, reducing flooding and CSO discharges.
• Owensboro GrainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed over $4.2 million toward the $7 million Center Street Force Main construction project (2006-2008) from Owensboro Grain facility to Max Rhoads Treatment Plant as a CSO initiative.
• Franklin Circuit CourtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAppointed RWRA as receiver in 2017 for two failing local package plants (Cedar Hills - 125 homes, Friendly Park - 94 homes), requiring RWRA to operate and maintain during design/construction of trunk lines.
• Anthem (Health Insurance)minorOthersRWRA provides links to Anthem's machine-readable files as required by federal Transparency in Coverage Rule for employee health plan information.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• DC Water (District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority): Independent authority providing wastewater and drinking water services to the District of Columbia and surrounding jurisdictions. Operates advanced wastewater treatment (including UV), an extensive CSO program, and an industrial pretreatment program comparable to RWRA’s scope.
• Sanitation District No. 1 of Northern Kentucky (SD1): Kentucky regional wastewater and stormwater utility serving multiple counties in Northern Kentucky. Operates treatment plants, collection networks, and an industrial pretreatment program under the same state and federal regulatory regime as RWRA.
• Cincinnati Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD): Multi-jurisdictional sewer district serving Greater Cincinnati under a county-wide service model similar to RWRA's Daviess County franchise. Operates large combined sewer areas with parallel Long Term Control Plan obligations and an active EPA consent decree.
• Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD): Regional wastewater utility serving 18 cities and counties in southeastern Virginia. Comparable regional agency model with industrial pretreatment, environmental compliance, and major interceptor infrastructure analogous to RWRA's Max Rhoads and David Hawes WRFs.
• Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government, Division of Water Quality: Kentucky municipal division operating the Town Branch and West Hickman wastewater treatment plants for the Lexington-Fayette urban service area. Shares RWRA’s customer class mix, rate-regulated structure, and compliance obligations under state and federal clean water rules.
• Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD): Regional wastewater authority serving greater Cleveland under a multi-jurisdictional governance model similar to RWRA's. Operates advanced wastewater treatment plants with active CSO control programs and pretreatment oversight.
• Sewerage & Water Board of New Orleans: Municipal utility operating New Orleans's combined sewer system under federal consent decree and active CSO Long Term Control Plan. Comparable combined sewer infrastructure challenges and rate-regulated municipal structure to RWRA.
• Nashville Metro Water Services: Regional water and wastewater utility operated by Metro Nashville government, providing treatment, collection, and pretreatment services to a similar mix of residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Comparable governance and rate-setting oversight by metro/county authorities.
• Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD Project Clear): Regional wastewater utility operating under an EPA consent decree to address CSOs and upgrade wastewater infrastructure across St. Louis City and County. Comparable rate-regulated regional agency executing large-scale capital programs analogous to RWRA's 20-Year Master Plan.
• Louisville/Jefferson County Metropolitan Sewer District (Louisville MSD): Kentucky regional wastewater utility providing sewer collection, treatment, and CSO management under similar Clean Water Act obligations. Comparable operating model (joint regional agency serving multiple jurisdictions) with overlapping regulatory framework under the Kentucky Division of Water.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/RWRAOwensboro
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/regional-water-resource-agency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Regional Water Resource Agency