Rural Community Assistance Partnership

Practical solutions for improving rural communities
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January 2012

Managing Your Existing Assets

Posted Tue, 2012/01/10 - 11:38am by RCAP
  1. Taking an inventory: Before you can properly manage your assets, you need to know what assets you have and what condition they are in. This information will help you schedule the rehabilitation and replacement of your assets.
  2. Prioritizing your assets: Like most water/wastewater systems, you probably have a limited budget.
Format: 
Checklist/how-to
Topic: 
Asset management
Source: 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Audience: 
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Plant manager
Financial manager/accountant/bookkeeper

Template for a request for proposal (RFP)

Posted Tue, 2012/01/10 - 11:34am by RCAP

Any words in parentheses or blank lines should be replaced with information about your own system or are instructions that should not be included in your final text.

PURPOSE:

The (Name of Entity) desires to seek financial assistance from a selected combination of the following agencies to resolve its (water, wastewater) problem:

Format: 
Template
Topic: 
Construction
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Project (construction) manager

EPA releases 2010 Toxics Release Inventory National Analysis

Posted Tue, 2012/01/10 - 11:00am by RCAP

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing its annual national analysis of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), providing all Americans with vital information about their communities. The TRI program publishes information on toxic chemical disposals and other releases into the air, land and water, as well as information on waste management and pollution prevention activities in neighborhoods across the country.

EPA launches recovery potential screening website to assist restoration planners

Posted Tue, 2012/01/10 - 10:38am by RCAP

EPA announces the release of a new technical-assistance tool for state and watershed-level surface water quality protection and restoration programs: the recovery potential screening website (www.epa.gov/recoverypotential/).  Recovery potential screening is a flexible approach for comparing relative differences in restorability among impaired waters across a state, watershed or other area.  The website provides step-by-step screening directions, restorability indicators and literature, and tools for scoring and displaying results.

EPA to seek stakeholder input on integrated municipal stormwater and wastewater management plans

Posted Tue, 2012/01/10 - 10:36am by RCAP

EPA is holding a series of five workshops to solicit stakeholder input on the use of integrated municipal stormwater and wastewater plans to meet the water-quality objectives of the Clean Water Act.  The workshops are intended to assist EPA in developing an integrated planning approach framework that could be used to help municipalities prioritize their infrastructure investments in order to maximize water-quality benefits and consider various innovative approaches, such as green infrastructure, that may be more sustainable.  

EPA’s List of Most Promising POU/POE Technologies: Their Effectiveness and Limitations

Posted Mon, 2012/01/09 - 5:36pm by RCAP

Ever wonder which type of POU/POE technology is the most effective at removing a particular contaminant? Check out what the EPA has to say about it.

Format: 
Fact sheet/overview
File Attachments: 
application/pdf iconepa_list_of_most_effective_pou_poe.pdf
Topic: 
Operations (technical)
Source: 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Audience: 
Operator

Vulnerability assessment Factsheet

Posted Mon, 2012/01/09 - 5:33pm by RCAP

Vulnerability assessments help water systems evaluate susceptibility to potential threats and identify corrective actions that can reduce or mitigate the risk of serious consequences from adversarial actions (e.g., vandalism, insider sabotage, terrorist attack, etc.) Such an assessment for a water system takes into account the vulnerability of the water supply (both ground and surface water), transmission, treatment, and distribution systems.

Format: 
Fact sheet/overview
Topic: 
Security/emergency-response planning
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Plant manager
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)

Emergency-preparedness & security checklist

Posted Mon, 2012/01/09 - 5:30pm by RCAP
  1. Develop/Update your Emergency Response Plan (ERP) based on your source water assessment.
  2. Maintain “as-built” construction and distribution system drawings.
  3. Document inspections of critically vulnerable facilities.
  4. Post up-to-date 24-hour emergency numbers.
  5. Establish a communications plan with police.
  6. Lock, screen, fence, and secure all key facilities, pipes, and wells.
  7. Install lighting around key facilities and parking areas.
  8. Identify alternative emergency supplie
Format: 
Checklist/how-to
Topic: 
Security/emergency-response planning
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Plant manager
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)

Small Water System Guide to Developing a Consumer Confidence Report

Posted Mon, 2012/01/09 - 5:28pm by RCAP

A guide to assist water systems in crafting thier consumer confidence reports.

The guide includes handy worksheets and detailed instructions to lead you through each step of the process.

Format: 
Checklist/how-to
File Attachments: 
application/pdf iconccr_instructions.pdf
Topic: 
Customer relations/service
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Board/council member
Plant manager
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)

10 Ways to Prepare for a Drought-Related Water Shortage

Posted Mon, 2012/01/09 - 5:26pm by RCAP

1. Develop a water-shortage response plan with detailed actions for water conservation and, in extreme situations, water curtailment. Drought is another form of drinking water emergency, one you can plan and prepare for.

2. Designate a water-shortage or emergency-response coordinator to ensure effective preparation, communication and technical procedures are in place.

Format: 
Checklist/how-to
Topic: 
Planning
Security/emergency-response planning
Customer relations/service
Source water
Conservation
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Plant manager