Rural Community Assistance Partnership

Practical solutions for improving rural communities
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April 2012

How to have a discussion about emergency cuts in water service with major users

Posted Wed, 2012/04/11 - 4:09pm by RCAP

The Drinking Water Security Committee of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA), U.S.

Format: 
Checklist/how-to
Topic: 
Security/emergency-response planning
Source: 
ASDWA
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Plant manager

Water Health and Economic Analysis Tool (WHEAT)

Posted Wed, 2012/04/11 - 3:51pm by RCAP

This tool is designed to assist owners and operators of drinking water and wastewater utilities in quantifying public health impacts, financial costs to the utility, and regional economic impacts of an adverse or accidental event, based on a variety of asset-threat combinations that pose a risk to the water sector.

Developed in collaboration with water-sector partners, WHEAT provides utilities of all sizes with the capability to assess, plan for, and better respond to human-caused threats and natural disasters. WHEAT is an intuitive, generalized, desktop software tool.

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

2012 NRDC report reveals 29 states unprepared for growing water threats to economy, health

Posted Wed, 2012/04/11 - 2:52pm by RCAP

First-of-its-kind state-by-state analysis examines climate-preparedness levels in all states, revealing nation’s best and worst

General Overview: Steve Fleischli, Director, NRDC Water & Climate Program

Format: 
Report
Topic: 
Climate change
Source: 
Other nonprofit/organization
Audience: 
Operator
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Plant manager
State/federal decision-maker

NRDC report reveals 29 states unprepared for growing water threats to economy, health

Posted Wed, 2012/04/11 - 2:48pm by RCAP

First-of-its-kind state-by-state analysis examines climate-preparedness levels in all states, revealing nation’s best and worst

General Overview: Steve Fleischli, Director, NRDC Water & Climate Program

EPA webcast: “Using the Clean Water Act State Revolving Fund for Nonpoint Source and National Estuary Projects”

Posted Fri, 2012/04/06 - 4:03pm by RCAP

Join EPA for a free Watershed Academy Webcast titled "Using the Clean Water Act State Revolving Fund for Nonpoint Source and National Estuary Projects” on April 17, 2012, 1-3 p.m.

2012 Draft National Water Program Strategy: Response to Climate Change open for public comment

Posted Fri, 2012/04/06 - 4:00pm by RCAP

EPA has released the draft “National Water Program 2012 Strategy: Response to Climate Change,” which describes how EPA’s water-related programs plan to address the impacts of climate change and provides long-term visions, goals and strategic actions for the management of sustainable water resources for future generations.

Formulate Great Rates: A webcast on setting rates in small-community utilities

Posted Fri, 2012/04/06 - 2:25pm by RCAP

A recorded webcast that is a companion to RCAP’s Formulate Great Rates: The Guide to Conducting a Rate Study for a Water System. The printed guide, the main piece in the family of resources on setting rates in small-community water or wastewater utilities, discusses developing a fair and equitable rate structure and walks users step-by-step through various worksheets in a process to calculate rates. It also provides guidance on financial management of a system related to rates as a system's income stream.

Format: 
Training module
Topic: 
Rates
Customer relations/service
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Financial manager/accountant/bookkeeper
Related Resources: 
Formulate Great Rates: The Guide to Conducting a Rate Study for a Water System
Formulate Great Rates: A self-guided training to setting rates
Rate Increase Form Letter

The Basics of Financial Management for Small-community Utilities: A self-guided training to finances

Posted Fri, 2012/04/06 - 11:04am by RCAP

This companion to The Basics of Financial Management for Small-community Utilities is designed to help users of the print version of the guide better understand the concepts presented through the expertise of public-sector professionals in an easy-to-use, interactive format.

Through the use of short video clips and walking through some of the sample reports in the guide, many of the more challenging segments of the guidebook are further explained.

Format: 
Training materials
Topic: 
Finance
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Board/council member
Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)
Related Resources: 
The Basics of Financial Management for Small-Community Utilities

Big hopes for small filters

Posted Mon, 2012/04/02 - 3:55pm by RCAP

At first glance, it looks like a metal box full of undercooked spaghetti. But these pasta-lookalike fibers represent the new technology of water filtration, capable of filtering material up to 30 times smaller than the current standard without things like flock ponds and sediment settling.

Format: 
Magazine/newsletter (single article)
Topic: 
Operations (technical)
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Operator
Plant manager

Churn, baby, churn!

Posted Mon, 2012/04/02 - 3:54pm by RCAP

That time of year is approaching. Hot days are waning, giving way to pleasant afternoons and cool nights. The leaves are taking on color here and there. School buses are rattling down residential roads. And the odor of Grandma’s attic comes spilling out of the faucet.

‘Tis the season for lake churn, when water smells musty, customers complain and water operators must deal with both issues on top of everything else.

Format: 
Magazine/newsletter (single article)
Topic: 
Operations (technical)
Source: 
RCAP
Audience: 
Operator
Plant manager