RCAP shares the importance of its work with members of Congress

WASHINGTON—It has been an unusually mild winter in the nation’s capital, but congressional business is nearly frozen in an election-year standstill. Despite this, RCAP field staff and other representatives from around the country received a warm welcome in the offices of their states’ legislators when they came Feb. 13-16 for RCAP’s annual week of visits to Capitol Hill.

According to a recent study conducted by the American Water Works Association, repair and expansion of the U.S. drinking water system over the next 25 years will cost at least $1 trillion. This includes fixing leaky pipes, replacing pipelines and expanding water systems to accommodate growing populations.

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar? If so, what should rural communities do when faced with increasing costs? One option to consider is partnerships among water systems. They are a way to build technical, managerial and financial capacity.

In the past few months, I’ve been invited to speak at various webinars and conferences about RCAP’s work and the importance of sustainable water utilities in rural areas.