At IB Environmental (ibE) a big part of our work involves playing the role of connecting utilities and non-profit organizations. There is much common ground for these two groups to collaborate on, for example:
Water quality watchdogs can partner with a utility to provide education through stream cleanups and citizen workshops.
Nonprofits that act as social advocates for low-income residents and seniors often partner with the local utility to administer customer assistance programs (CAPs) for the financially vulnerable, a group that these organizations know more intimately than the utility does.
But there is one area where nonprofits and water utilities can't seem to find common ground. What to do about those customers who don't pay their water bills?
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