Rural Community Assistance Partnership

Practical solutions for improving rural communities

August 2012

RCAP signs onto coalition letter sent to Congress on Farm Bill

Posted Fri, 2012/08/31 - 10:48am by RCAP

The Coalition for a Renewed Rural Development, of which RCAP is a member, sent a letter on Aug. 30 to leaders of committees in Congress who are working on the Farm Bill.

The letter urged passage of the Farm Bill and inclusion of key rural development policy changes and funding that will be lost in any extension. 44 organizations signed onto the letter.

The letter reads in part:

Check Up Program for Small Systems (CUPSS) Train-the-Trainer webinar series

Posted Fri, 2012/08/31 - 10:19am by RCAP

This 6-hour presentation will consist of comprehensive training on how to use the CUPSS asset management software. It will closely follow the CUPSS Users Guide; an overview of each module (with screenshots) followed by exercises on how to use the module. To participate in this training, users will be asked to log in from their own computer. Users can begin their asset management process through this training or they can follow the presenter's hypothetical scenario. The EPA sponsored web-based conference delivery will be separated into three 2-hour sessions.

Circle of Blue: Federal Water Mandates Blowing a Hole in Municipal Budgets, Local Leaders Say

Posted Fri, 2012/08/31 - 10:13am by RCAP

Local government officials and utility leaders ask U.S. Congress to invest in water projects and to provide regulatory flexibility. The framework is part of a broader debate about how to balance ecosystems, public health and financial constraints, in this, the 40th year of the Clean Water Act.

An Aug. 23 article on the Circle of Blue website begins:

Attention, operators for tribal water or wastewater utilities and other leaders

Posted Wed, 2012/08/29 - 2:58pm by RCAP

This fall, RCAP will be working with SmallWaterSupply.org to further expand the resources available to tribal utility operators.

SmallWaterSupply.org supports water and wastewater operators in small systems with comprehensive resources and information in one easy-to-use place on the web. The website is free to use.

EPA webinar on recruiting and training veterans for careers in the water sector

Posted Wed, 2012/08/29 - 2:43pm by RCAP

On September 13, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. EDT, EPA will host a webinar for water and wastewater operator certification programs and state drinking water and wastewater programs on recruiting and training veterans for careers in the water sector. Topics include how Veterans Affairs programs can help veterans obtain operator certification and how states and utilities can employ veterans on a temporary basis at no cost.

If it's good enough for the president...

Posted Wed, 2012/08/29 - 1:46pm by RCAP

Congress to Provide Local DC Tap Water for Presidential Inauguration

WASHINGTON (DC Water)--Senator Chuck Schumer and the Joint Congressional Committee for Inaugural Ceremonies announced Aug. 29 that local DC tap water will be served during the 57th Presidential Inauguration. In a letter to the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority’s (DC Water) General Manager George S. Hawkins, Senator Schumer said "During the upcoming Presidential Inaugural ceremonies, DC tap water will be available just as it is in the Capital every day."

Protecting your water system against the risks and effects of fire

Posted Wed, 2012/08/22 - 1:31pm by RCAP

This summer’s hot temperatures and drought conditions have resulted in a record number of wildfires, particularly in Western states. But fires can take place anywhere, and just as they have been shown on the news burning down houses and neighborhoods, they can affect drinking water sources and treatment operations.

Format:

Magazine/newsletter (single article)

Topic:

Operations (technical)

Infrastructure

Security/emergency-response planning

Source:

RCAP

Audience:

Operator

Board/council member

Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)

Plant manager

'Meeting' your responsibilities for good order in your utility

Posted Wed, 2012/08/22 - 10:49am by RCAP

Are the meetings to take care of your community's business just a casual get-together of the town "elders" at the local coffee shop? Do any meetings you attend feel disorganized, run too long, waste time, or avoid important discussions? Do your meetings not provide you with the necessary information you need to make important decisions affecting your community's health and well-being?

Format:

Magazine/newsletter (single article)

Topic:

Management

Board/council

Source:

RCAP

Audience:

Board/council member

Mayor/town manager/elected official (local)

NYTimes op-ed: 'Don’t Waste the Drought'

Posted Mon, 2012/08/20 - 11:34am by RCAP

An Aug. 16 editorial in The New York Times calls us to not let the opportunity pass us by in the current drought to address water problems and consider how we use and think about water.

The editorial begins:

"We're in the worst drought in the United States since the 1950s, and we’re wasting it.

"Though the drought has devastated corn crops and disrupted commerce on the Mississippi River, it also represents an opportunity to tackle long-ignored water problems and to reimagine how we manage, use and even think about water.

EPA offers water-conservation tips for the summer

Posted Mon, 2012/08/20 - 11:26am by RCAP

A blog of the EPA's Mid-Atlantic Region featured a recent post with water-conservation tips for the summer.

Read the post