Rural Community Assistance Partnership

Practical solutions for improving rural communities
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January 2012

Jeopardy! game on the Safe Drinking Water Act

Posted Tue, 2012/01/31 - 10:41am by RCAP

A fun review for a training session in the form of a game modeled after the "Jeopardy!" game show. All questions are on various aspects of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Ideal for use with a group at the end of training on drinking water treatment, requirements and regulations. Useful for board members and operators of drinking water systems, but also a good review for regulators.

The file is a PowerPoint show, meaning it is saved in such a way that it will automatically play in slide-show mode (will not open in editing mode) and cannot be edited.

Format: 
Training materials
Topic: 
Regulations
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Related Resources: 
The Big Guide for Small Systems: A Resource for Board Members

RCAP's post-State of the Union address follow-up

Posted Fri, 2012/01/27 - 3:47pm by RCAP

Last week, a few days before President Obama was set to deliver his annual State of the Union address, RCAP spearheaded an initiative and wrote a letter to Obama that 27 rural groups signed on to. The letter asked Obama to publicly commit to working with Congress to reauthorize the Farm Bill in his speech to Congress and the nation.

Energy audit webcast

Posted Wed, 2012/01/25 - 5:33pm by RCAP

Recognizing rural water utilities’ need for energy-efficiency assistance and the value of such activities in supporting state capacity-development strategies, on January 12, 2012, the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) and RCAP partnered to host an energy audit webinar for state drinking water program staff.  Nearly 100 registered participants attended the web event.

Format: 
Webcast/webinar
Topic: 
Operations (technical)
Energy use
Source: 
RCAP
ASDWA
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Plant manager

ProPublica: Years after evidence of fracking contamination, EPA to supply drinking water to homes in Pa. town

Posted Wed, 2012/01/25 - 12:45pm by RCAP

by Abrahm Lustgarten, ProPublica, Jan. 20, 2012, 2:58 p.m.

First, the earth around the rural town of Dimock, Pa., was cracked open as gas drillers used fracking to tap the vast energy supplies of the Marcellus Shale.

Then, in April 2009, residents there lost their access to fresh drinking water. Wells turned fetid. Some blew up. Tap water caught fire.

Letter from RCAP to President Obama on the State of the Union address

Posted Fri, 2012/01/20 - 10:45am by RCAP

RCAP, along with many other organizations that work in rural areas or have rural interests, has sent the letter below to President Obama in advance of his upcoming State of the Union address. The letter was also shared with USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and Undersecretary Dallas Tonsager.

January 18, 2012

Dear Mr. President:

USDA Rural Development: Helping to put Americans to work

Posted Wed, 2012/01/18 - 5:35pm by RCAP

Annual report reflects administration's drive to create opportunity in rural regions

WASHINGTON (USDA)- Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack provided highlights of USDA Rural Development fiscal year (FY) 2011 investments in job-creating businesses, infrastructure and housing for Americans living in rural communities across the nation on Jan. 17. According to estimates, Rural Development investments created or saved about 440,000 jobs last year.

New data added to EPA’s nitrogen and phosphorus pollution data access tool

Posted Wed, 2012/01/18 - 5:26pm by RCAP

EPA has added updated U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) data to the nitrogen and phosphorus pollution data access tool, a tool intended to help states develop effective nitrogen and phosphorus source reduction strategies. SPARROW is a GIS-based watershed model that integrates statistical and mechanistic modeling approaches to simulate long-term mean annual stream nutrient loads as a function of a wide range of known sources and factors affecting nutrient fate and transport.

Webinar: Collaboration In Action! Collaborating to achieve Drinking Water program goals - January 31

Posted Tue, 2012/01/17 - 12:15pm by RCAP

Find out how other states did it and why it was worth it

A webinar sponsored by the State/EPA Program Collaboration Workgroup

January 31, 2012
1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern

Who should attend?
Drinking water program administrators, managersand& staff interested in learning how some states have collaborated to meet program goals.

Presentations:

Webinar: Family Farms, Rural Landscapes, and the Farm Bill - January 18

Posted Tue, 2012/01/17 - 12:07pm by RCAP

January 18, 2012
1:30 – 3:00PM Eastern

Register to attend

Overview

This webinar, hosted by The Horinko Group’s Water Division, will explore some of the issues and opportunities tied to moving our nation forward on a path of sustainable agriculture practices, while strengthening small family farms and diversifying rural economies to foster more livable rural communities.

Responsibilities of board members

Posted Tue, 2012/01/17 - 11:44am by RCAP

The ten basic responsibilities of a board of directors

1. Set the Mission and the Vision of the System:
The Board is responsible for creating the water system’s mission and purpose statements, and reviewing them periodically to be sure they fit well with the direction of the system’s growth. The mission statement explains why the system exists and who it exists to serve; the vision articulates a picture of the future that the system hopes to create.

Format: 
Checklist/how-to
Topic: 
Board/council
Source: 
RCAP
Other nonprofit/organization
Audience: 
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)