SC Rural Water Association

What SC Rural Water Association does

SC Rural Water Association (SCRWA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit trade association established in 1977 and headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina. The organization operates as the state affiliate of the National Rural Water Association (NRWA), serving public and private water and wastewater utility systems statewide. SCRWA's members collectively serve approximately 2 million South Carolina residents. The association delivers a broad portfolio of services rather than a single product: workforce development through Apprenticeship H2O and Pre-Apprenticeship H2O programs; on-site technical assistance via Circuit Rider field technicians; an emergency mutual aid network (SCWARN); legislative and regulatory advocacy (LACI); specialty programs covering cybersecurity, drone technology, GIS, asset management, source water protection, sanitary surveys, and wastewater services; training and continuing education through events and a SunCoast online learning partnership; and member benefits including discounted fleet vehicles, P&C insurance through Gallagher, managed IT/cybersecurity through Cyber Solutions, online bill payment through Nexbillpay, and website development through RuralWaterImpact.com and MunicipalImpact.com.

SCRWA's underlying technology stack is built on partnerships rather than proprietary platforms. The association itself does not develop core technology products; instead it integrates third-party tools (120Water for compliance and water quality, Nexbillpay for billing, SunCoast for online learning, Gallagher for insurance) and offers them to members at preferred pricing. Distribution is member-led: members engage via four major annual events (Annual Conference, Decision Makers Summit, OfficePro, Equipment & Operators EXPO), semi-monthly Clear E-News e-newsletter, quarterly Water is Life magazine, and direct field engagement through Circuit Riders and district training sessions.

Revenue is generated through multiple streams: recurring membership dues from System Members and Associate Members, training and certification program fees, advertising in publications (Water is Life magazine, Clear E-News, membership directory, website banners via Kelman & Associates), and one-time survey product sales (Rate Study and Salary Survey at $100 for members and $150 for non-members). USDA Rural Water Loan Fund administration provides an additional programmatic revenue stream tied to small-utility lending activity.

Name

SC Rural Water Association

Legal name

South Carolina Rural Water Association

Website

https://scrwa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Short description

SC Rural Water Association is a 501(c)(3) trade association established in 1977 that assists public and private water and wastewater utilities statewide in South Carolina through technical assistance, training, emergency response, legislative advocacy, and member benefit programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Wastewater Utility Trade Association Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

SCADA/Telemetry & OT Modernization for Assets (Controls, Instrumentation, Cyber) (EUANALAJ)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Wastewater management support
• Workforce development training
• Legislative advocacy programs
• Membership trade association

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SCRWA operates as a 501(c)(3) trade association with membership fees as a primary revenue stream. System Members (public and private water/wastewater utilities) and Associate Members (vendors/suppliers) pay dues to access association benefits including training, technical assistance, emergency response, and member discounts.
2. Training and Certification Programs: Revenue from CDL training, online learning through SunCoast Learning, continuing education courses, licensing exam prep, and governance & management academy programs.
3. Publications and Advertising: Revenue from quarterly magazine 'Water is Life', semi-monthly e-newsletter 'Clear E-News', membership directory advertising, website banner ads, and magazine advertising through Kelman & Associates.
4. Survey Products: Rate Study and Salary Survey products sold to non-participating systems at $100 for members and $150 for non-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SC Rural Water Association (SCRWA) is a 501(c)(3) trade association established in 1977 that supports public and private water and wastewater systems statewide in South Carolina. It delivers technical assistance through on-site Circuit Riders, workforce development via registered Apprenticeship H2O programs, emergency mutual aid through the SCWARN network, legislative advocacy via LACI, and member-benefit access to third-party services (insurance, IT, fleet vehicles, online bill pay, USDA-backed loans).

Product overview

SC Rural Water Association is a 501(c)(3) trade association established in 1977 that serves as an affiliate of the National Rural Water Association. Rather than a single unified product, SCRWA offers a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services organized around workforce development (Apprenticeship H2O and Pre-Apprenticeship H2O), technical assistance (Circuit Riders, Asset Management, GIS, Sanitary Survey, Source Water Protection), specialized services (Cybersecurity, Drone Technology, Emergency Preparedness, Fluoride Optimization, Natural Resources Protection, Wastewater), training and education (Online Training via SunCoast, CDL Training, Governance & Management Academy), events and conferences, member benefits (Online Bill Pay through Nexbillpay, Website Development, Fleet Vehicles, Insurance, IT Services), and advocacy (LACI Legislative Advocacy, SCWARN Emergency Response). The association assists public and private water and wastewater systems statewide through these integrated programs, partnerships with third-party providers (120Water, Gallagher, Cyber Solutions), and resources including publications and a job board.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SCWARN: SC Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network - a mutual aid network providing immediate assistance to utilities during emergencies
• LACI

Products and services

• SCRWA Membership Trade association membership available to System Members (public and private water/wastewater utilities) and Associate Members (vendors/suppliers). Provides access to training, technical assistance, emergency response, legislative advocacy, workforce development programs, and partner discounts.
• CDL Training Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 2 million South Carolina residents served by SCRWA member systems
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Rural Water Association (NRWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCRWA is an affiliate of NRWA, which represents 31,000 utility members. This partnership enables collective buying power for member benefits including fleet vehicle programs through Ford Motor Company and Chrysler Group.
• US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPA partnership supports source water protection, watershed programs, and regulatory compliance initiatives for SC water utilities.
• SC Department of Environmental Services (SCDES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCDES is a key regulatory partner for sanitary surveys, water quality compliance, source water protection, and watershed programs.
• SCWARN (SC Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCWARN provides immediate mutual aid to utilities during emergencies. SCRWA is one of 5 agencies that create SCWARN, offering no-cost membership for utilities to access emergency resources.
• 120WatercoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership provides software, sampling kits, and services for water safety, compliance, and wastewater monitoring. Includes LCRI compliance, service line verification, and school/daycare sampling solutions with preferred pricing for members.
• Gallagher (Insurance)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGallagher provides Property & Casualty Insurance services to SC water and sewer clients with discounted rates through SCRWA membership.
• USDA Forest ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerForest Service supports watershed protection and natural resources programs through the Forests and Water Advisory Committee.
• Ford Motor Company and Chrysler GroupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFleet vehicle discount program for SCRWA utility members through NRWA partnership. Combines buying power of 31,000 utility members for reduced pricing on utility vehicles.
• Napoli Shkolnik (Legal)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCRWA and NRWA engaged Napoli Shkolnik to file a PFAS cost recovery action to provide water/wastewater systems opportunity to recover costs related to PFAS contamination.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Water Works Association: Large established association serving the broader water sector with training, standards, and advocacy. Comparable in mission (training, certification, advocacy for water utilities) but at much greater scale and with broader membership beyond rural systems.
• Water Environment Federation: International organization focused on water quality and wastewater professionals. Comparable in delivering technical training, certification, and member services to wastewater utility professionals; broader in geographic and topical scope than SCRWA.
• National Association of Water Companies: Trade association representing private-sector water and wastewater utilities nationwide. Comparable association model serving water utilities, but with investor-owned utility members rather than SCRWA's predominantly public/municipal focus.

Others

• 120Water: Technology partner of SCRWA providing water quality compliance software, sampling kits, and services (LCRI, service line verification). Adjacent ecosystem player enabling SCRWA's compliance program offerings to member utilities.

Direct peers

• Association of State Drinking Water Administrators: National association of state drinking water program administrators. Comparable in mission to support state-level water utility capacity, training, and regulatory compliance, with an overlapping member base of state agency personnel.
• Texas Rural Water Association: Another state-level rural water association operating under the same NRWA affiliate model. Directly comparable in service portfolio (Circuit Riders, training, apprenticeship, legislative advocacy) but serving a different state.
• Rural Community Assistance Partnership: National nonprofit network providing training, technical assistance, and capacity building to rural water/wastewater systems. Comparable target audience and service mix (technical assistance, training, compliance support) for small rural utilities.
• National Rural Water Association: National-level umbrella organization for state rural water associations including SCRWA. Operates the same trade-association model for rural water utilities across the U.S. and is directly comparable in mission, structure, and member benefits portfolio.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sc-rural-water-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 SC Rural Water Association