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Texas Water Infrastructure Coordination Committee offers matchmaking, technical assistance for struggling small systems
Summary
TWIC, a volunteer interagency coordination group, connects small systems with funding, engineering and technical-assistance partners and holds regular meetings and workshops to help systems prepare for grants and consolidation.
Dorothy Young described the Texas Water Infrastructure Coordination Committee (TWIC), a 15-year volunteer coordination group that brings together regulatory agencies, funding agencies and technical-assistance providers to help small and struggling water systems.
TWIC’s members include state regulatory and funding agencies and assistance providers such as the Texas Rural Water Association, the Water Finance Exchange and the Texas section of the American Water Works Association. Dorothy said TWIC aims to be a “one-stop shop” for small systems facing issues such as arsenic, depleted aquifers, drought, unmet rates and lack of managerial capacity.
TWIC provides workshops, matchmaking for regionalization and consolidation projects, and referral to pro bono engineers and financial advisors. Dorothy said many small systems are not “grant-ready”—they lack audits, rate structures or basic planning—and TWIC’s role is to provide technical hand-holding and introductions to funding resources.
TWIC meets every other month and shares contact information and resources; Dorothy asked systems to contact TWIC for partnership help, mentoring or regional project matchmaking and said a one-page TWIC summary will be posted on the DWARG page.
