- Who We Are
- What We Do
- Publications & Resources
- RCAP Resources Library
- New RCAP resources
- Popular RCAP Resources for Small Communities
- Rural Matters magazine
- A Drop of Knowledge - electronic newsletter (formerly eBulletin)
- Glossary
- RCAP's Security Toolbox for Small Systems
- Training & Events
- Program Reports
- Policy Papers & Studies
- Other Water-Related Organizations / Agencies
- News & Features
- Who We Work With
- Getting Assistance
What We Do
Printer-friendly
Email to friend
The needs and why we do what we do
Nearly a million people living in rural areas of the United States still have no indoor plumbing. Millions more live with inadequate water sanitation systems, creating circumstances that threaten drinking water, public health and the environment. Most of the nation’s water systems are located in rural areas, where poverty rates are disproportionately higher than in urban areas and educational opportunities are fewer. Not surprisingly, many rural communities lack the financial resources and the technical expertise to develop or maintain critical infrastructure systems.
Water infrastructure is intimately connected to the quality of life of individuals, families and whole communities. It relates directly to a community’s:
- housing standards and ability to provide adequate accommodation to its residents
- ability to revitalize its economy
- ability to promote business development
- ability to create new job opportunities that offer residents viable alternatives to outward migration
Without adequate water systems, rural communities cannot achieve their full economic-development potential. Poor communities lack access to government and other resources to minimize costs and to rapidly address water system problems as they arise.
A role for RCAP
This is where RCAP comes in. RCAP helps rural communities, as well as Native American and tribal communities, access the resources they need to obtain the quality of life they want and to meet the requirements of federal laws and regulations. RCAP offers information on what resources are available and how other communities have solved similar problems. RCAP partners provide hands-on technical assistance to rural communities as they work to meet their needs. RCAP also advocates for concerns of rural communities in regulatory proceedings and in rural associations and coalitions.
RCAP’s programs are targeted to rural communities with populations of less than 10,000 people. It specializes in building the capacity of communities in one subset of these small communities – those with populations under 3,300. Through its regional partners RCAP assists these small, often diverse and economically disadvantaged communities in finding sustainable solutions to community concerns. RCAP’s services are available to elected officials, utility owners and operators, community leaders, and others living in rural communities. These services help people to:
- gain access to safe drinking water supplies
- treat or properly dispose of wastewater
- protect groundwater supplies and watersheds
- plan and finance infrastructure projects
- responsibly manage and operate community facilities
- build leadership capacity in the community
- understand state and federal environmental regulations and requirements
- conduct vulnerability assessments and develop emergency response plans
- improve or expand solid waste collection and recycling options
- develop a vision for the future in their communities
In short, the work of RCAP directly impacts:
- public health in communities
- environmental protection and safety
- economic vitality and sustainability
- local capacity to resolve problems
RCAP provides services with grants from U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water and Office of Waste Water Management and the Office of Community Services of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
RCAP’s and others’ assessment of needs
In 2004, RCAP produced Still Living Without the Basics in the 21st Century, an analysis of 2000 U.S. Census data to determine infrastructure needs as well as other social and economic indicators. We found that more than one million rural Americans live without water and waste facilities and another five million are served by small systems (less than 3,300 residents) that are inadequate to meet the needs of their communities.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that in 2008 small water systems accounted for 86 percent of the systems that were out of compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act, as well as 84 percent of total violations.
The link between water and economics
Numerous studies have indicated that, in rural communities with high numbers of households living in poverty, it is much more likely that safe and affordable water and wastewater services do not exist or are inadequate. In addition, providing safe, affordable water and wastewater services can impose a greater financial hardship on people living in these economically distressed areas.
A May 2007 report from the USDA Economic Research Service (ERS), “Policy Options for a Changing Rural America,” says:
Investment in rural infrastructure not only enhances the well-being of community residents, but also facilitates the expansion of existing businesses and the development of new ones. Recent ERS research assessed the economic impacts of 87 water and sewer projects funded by the Economic Development Administration and found that these projects in general created or saved jobs, spurred private-sector investment, attracted government funds, and enlarged the property tax base.
