Business Spotlight: Upper Souris Water District

Community Through Connection

In our North Dakota rural communities, where everyone knows your name and lends a hand without hesitation, the spirit of support and connection runs deep. Kristine Goettle, manager at Upper Souris Water District, knows this firsthand: “In our community, there’s always somebody there to help you.”

Embracing the Small-Town Feel

Since joining the Upper Souris Water District a year ago, Goettle has been the linchpin keeping the office running smoothly while ensuring that over 650 rural customers receive clean water. She’s seen how embracing that small-town feel when choosing who to do business with leads to better outcomes all around.

When Goettle started at the Upper Souris Water District, she encountered turbulence with their phones and communications systems. Simple tasks like updating a voicemail message turned into complex challenges, with constant runarounds and hoops to jump through. “You couldn’t do this because you had to upgrade your plan to this, but we just wanted to change our voicemail,” Goettle explained.

For a community where over 650 people rely on consistent water access, such hurdles were unacceptable. And Goettle kept being transferred from person to person, never working with the same technician and missing the community touch she valued. This lack of connection was part of the reason she chose to work at Upper Souris Water District—to be more than just a number, to know exactly who she’d greet every morning.

“I consider the two guys I work with in the office family at this point. We know everything about our lives and everything good that happens to us,” Goettle said.

Adding RTC Networks to the Family

Now, RTC Networks is a part of that family, too. After trying to jump through the hoops with their old provider, the Upper Souris Water District sought a new partner for their connectivity needs—one that understood and embraced the rural way of life. RTC Networks doesn’t give up, doesn’t create arbitrary benchmarks for service, and is always willing to help.

“If someone I was talking to at RTC Networks didn’t know the answer, they would get me to someone who does. They are very friendly and helpful,” Goettle said.

Aligning with a Shared Approach

The Upper Souris Water District didn’t just upgrade their phone system. They also use the myRTCPro app to help monitor their water pumps. If a pump stops working, the app notifies the relevant worker immediately—even if they’re not in the office.

“You can check your voicemails, use call waiting and call forwarding, and even reach an operator. And, if I’m on vacation, I can put the app on Do Not Disturb and I won’t get called when I’m off. It’s really convenient,” Goettle said.

Most importantly, RTC Networks and Upper Souris Water District align closely in their approach. Instead of a faceless employee identified only by a serial number, Goettle gets someone she knows on the line when she reaches out to RTC Networks.

Thriving Through Mutual Support and Trust

Rural communities thrive on deeply held values like mutual support and trust. When a local, community-driven cooperative like RTC Networks understands and embraces those values, they’re better able to keep the community running. Now, Upper Souris Water District can keep the water flowing because RTC Networks handles the connectivity.