There
is an amazing trend growing
in the water business. Are you paying attention?
Do you see what’s happening among consumers? You must have noticed
that bottled water is selling in unprecedented quantities and for truly
amazing prices!
What is driving this
phenomenon? A major factor is that consumer confidence in the safety and
quality of public water supplies is at an all time low.
What does that mean for the water treatment/water quality industry? It
means growing opportunities.
It means that our
products can meet the needs of
the concerned consumer in ways that are
less costly, more environmentally
sound (all those bottles!!), and can be customized
to address the chemical composition of the homeowner’s particular
water supply.
For us, as
practitioners in the industry, the issue is: How are we addressing this
opportunity?
Are you emphasizing the fact that custom treated water is beneficial
for all home uses? Are you explaining your products and services in
“customer friendly” terms?
Are you providing the
kind and quality of service that
makes having “whole home” systems convenient and desirable?
Are you educating people
with onsite waste water systems about the fact that waste systems failures are
seldom, if ever due to effluent from water treatment systems?
EWQA is focusing on creating opportunities for you to advance your education in technical and
business skills.
We are encouraging you to meet with your colleagues to plan strategies for
improving relationships with customers, regulators and industry colleagues.
EWQA is gathering information on the effects of water treatment on waste
systems. Our goal is to help you when local regulators want to ban effluent in
wastewater systems. We are developing
tools, such as position papers, for you to use when dealing with local
issues regarding water treatment.
Because EWQA is a
regional organization, we are in a unique
position to help our members meet the challenges they face in conducting
their day to day business.
There are several very
important ways you, as a member of the association, can help. Become active. Tell us
what you need – to better run your business, to head off unnecessary or
oppressive regulation or legislation, to improve your image with customers.
We are here to meet your needs – not the needs we “imagine” you
have.
Volunteer to
be the “point” person for members in your immediate area so that EWQA can
give you the tools you need to work together when a need occurs.
We can help you create a support network in your immediate area.
Last but not least, get
to know non-members in your area who could use the opportunities EWQA can
offer. Encourage them to join or send in their contact information so that we
can contact them. By encouraging other companies to join, you will help build the strength in numbers needed for addressing local issues and
concerns and you will add “clout” to EWQA’s positions on issues.
Yours in the business of water,
Greg Gruett
.