Rural Community Assistance Partnership

Practical solutions for improving rural communities
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January 2012

Dealing with the media

Posted Tue, 2012/01/17 - 11:39am by RCAP

Proactive involvement with the media

• Designate a media spokesperson. Provide local media outlets with your spokesperson’s contact information including an after-hours cell phone or home phone number.

• If you have a contact or relationship with a reporter, offer to talk to him/her first.

Format: 
Checklist/how-to
Topic: 
Customer relations/service
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Plant manager

Improving Your consumer confidence report (CCR)

Posted Tue, 2012/01/17 - 11:30am by RCAP

1. Simplify—Keep in mind that the average consumer is not as familiar with water quality data as you are, so keep it simple
2. Upfront and Online—Highlight the most important information upfront. Remember, customers care about the bottom line. Are you doing a good job and is there anything they need to know about their water quality?
3. Ask for Help—Ask for help from another supplier, state office, or waterworks professional organization. Check our waterworks’ websites.
4. Do not:
• Use a type smaller than 10 points.

Format: 
Checklist/how-to
Topic: 
Finance
Operations (technical)
Regulations
Customer relations/service
Source: 
Other government entity
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Plant manager

Tips for a Successful Sanitary Survey

Posted Tue, 2012/01/17 - 11:24am by RCAP

Common deficiencies surveyors hope NOT to find during a sanitary survey:

• Lack of a screened vent or other holes in the well casing.

• Lack of a screen or a damaged screen on storage tank vents.

• Storage tank overflows without screens or flap valves.

• Old piping and tank not eliminated (not just “valved off”).

• Did not use proper flushing and disinfection techniques after construction or repairs.

• Poor choice of water sampling tap.

Format: 
Fact sheet/overview
Topic: 
Operations (technical)
Source: 
Other government entity
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Plant manager

Collecting Overdue Bills in a Tough Economy

Posted Tue, 2012/01/17 - 11:19am by RCAP

Collecting overdue bills can be ticklish in the best of times. Today, making sure that the check is in the mail can mean the difference between staying in business or going under. Here are some tips that will help make sure that you get the money you're owed:

Format: 
Report
Topic: 
Finance
Rates
Customer relations/service
Source: 
Other nonprofit/organization
Audience: 
Board/council member
Financial manager/accountant/bookkeeper

Natural Disaster Preparedness Guidelines for Water and Wastewater Utilities

Posted Tue, 2012/01/17 - 11:16am by RCAP

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Security Division has developed a checklist to assist water and wastewater utilities in natural disaster readiness, with a focus on hurricane preparedness.

Format: 
Checklist/how-to
Topic: 
Operations (technical)
Security/emergency-response planning
Source: 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Plant manager

Sample Mutual Aid and Assistance Agreement

Posted Tue, 2012/01/17 - 11:02am by RCAP

Excerpted from the American Water Works Association's “Utilities Helping Utilities: An Action Plan For Mutual Aid and Assistance Networks for Water And Wastewater Utilities”

Good for use when setting up a WARN (Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network)

Format: 
Template
Topic: 
Security/emergency-response planning
Source: 
AWWA
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Plant manager
State/federal decision-maker

National Environmental Services Center

Posted Tue, 2012/01/10 - 4:53pm by RCAP

The National Environmental Services Center is a long-time partner of RCAP and offers assistance, solutions and knowledge.

For more than 30 years, NESC has helped thousands of small, rural communities with their drinking water, wastewater, environmental training, infrastructure resilience, and utility management needs--leading them to solutions to the problems they face.

Format: 
Website (with more resources)
Topic: 
Finance
Reporting
Rates
Operations (technical)
Management
Construction
Infrastructure
Regulations
Loans/grants
Energy use
Planning
Public policy
Regional cooperation
Security/emergency-response planning
Board/council
Borrowing
Workforce
Customer relations/service
Asset management
Source water
Conservation
Source: 
National Environmental Services Center
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Plant manager
Financial manager/accountant/bookkeeper
State/federal decision-maker
Project (construction) manager

Ten Ways to Protect Your Water Supply System from Threats

Posted Tue, 2012/01/10 - 11:53am by RCAP
  1. Prepare or update an emergency-response plan. Make sure all employees help to create it and receive training on the plan.
  2. Post updated emergency 24-hour numbers at your facilities in highly visible areas (pumphouse door, vehicles, office) and give them to key personnel and local response officials.
  3. Get to know your local police and ask them to add your facilities to their routine rounds.
Format: 
Report
Topic: 
Security/emergency-response planning
Source: 
Other nonprofit/organization
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Plant manager

Potential Benefits of a Unidirectional Flushing Program

Posted Tue, 2012/01/10 - 11:48am by RCAP
  1. Water Quality: Immediate water quality improvement due to the restoration of disinfection residuals and removal of accumulated debris and biofilms. A good flushing program can also reduce disinfection demand by reducing bacterial growth.
  2. Affordable: Can be implemented using only limited capital resources to develop and begin.
  3. Dual Maintenance Role: Allows you to simultaneous exercise your valve and hydrants while cleaning your distribution lines.
Format: 
Checklist/how-to
Topic: 
Operations (technical)
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Operator
Plant manager

Tips for a successful board meeting

Posted Tue, 2012/01/10 - 11:46am by RCAP
  1. Put the meeting objectives in writing.
  2. Don’t try to do too much.
  3. Set an agenda (write it down and share it with board members in advance).
  4. Brief the board before the meeting.
  5. Keep the meeting on track.
  6. Remember, every board member has a role to play.
  7. Make action…Not war. You are all working toward a common goal, so remember to be polite.
  8. Keep it short whenever possible.
Format: 
Checklist/how-to
Topic: 
Board/council
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)