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Email to friendThis list is in the process of being added to. Last update: July 15, 2010
The links below are to websites, publications, training opportunities, and other resources that small water systems will find useful.
Resources produced by the RCAP network:
The Water We Drink: Small Community Outreach Campaign
A joint effort of RCAP and the National Environmental Services Center (NESC); funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community Services
The campaign offers free articles and educational resources about maintaining safe, sustainable, and secure water supplies in small and rural communities. Many of these resources are ready-to-use and are ideal for trainers and "message multipliers," such as newsletter editors and webmasters - those who communicate with water customers. This outreach initiative provides information and increases awareness about crucial water issues, especially for rural and small community decision-makers and water and wastewater board members.
SMART About Water program
The SMART About Water program (Strategic Management and Available Resources and Technology) produced materials to assist communities in their efforts to protect drinking water quality, with a focus on source water and wellhead protection (namely untreated wastewater from failing septic and sewer systems).The program was a partnership of RCAP and the National Environmental Services Center (NESC) and was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW), .
Although the program ended in Sept. 2009, its website is still live and has most of the materials that the program developed and provided to support the training and technical assistance that the program offered.
Sustainable Infrastructure for Small System Public Services: A Planning and Resource Guide
Download (PDF; 2.33 MB)
Published by the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC), the Western RCAP. Provides informational material, worksheets, examples, case studies and resources on water conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy for small utilities.
Written by RCAC staff members, this “green infrastructure guide” is a starting point for very small (fewer than 1,000 connections) to medium communities (up to 5,000 connections) to integrate and initiate green elements into their facilities and projects. It assists communities in identifying specific actions they can take as they make sustainable and long-term choices. The guide was produced for utility decision makers, staff and community residents wanting to operate increasingly efficient small utility systems. Its 94 pages encompass three chapters on water conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy sources.
Download (PDF; 2.33 MB)
Published by the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC), the Western RCAP. Provides informational material, worksheets, examples, case studies and resources on water conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy for small utilities.
Written by RCAC staff members, this “green infrastructure guide” is a starting point for very small (fewer than 1,000 connections) to medium communities (up to 5,000 connections) to integrate and initiate green elements into their facilities and projects. It assists communities in identifying specific actions they can take as they make sustainable and long-term choices. The guide was produced for utility decision makers, staff and community residents wanting to operate increasingly efficient small utility systems. Its 94 pages encompass three chapters on water conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy sources.
Resources of others outside RCAP:
Resources for small public water systems and capacity development from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
A website designed to help small system owners and operators, state and tribal agencies, technical assistance providers, and consumers learn more about helping small water systems provide safe drinking water and protect public health. Every state has a capacity development program to help small systems improve their finanances, managment, infrastructure, and operations.
This site includes:
- Basic information – Introduction to small water systems in the United States, the importance of community involvement in protecting public health, and the concept of capacity development.
- Where you live – Links to information for small systems specific to your state, including local training opportunities.
- State guidance – Overview of the purpose and importance of capacity development initiatives, and related resources for states and technical assistance providers.
- Regulations 101 – Tools and resources to assist with understanding and meeting the requirements of EPA’s drinking water regulations.
- Compliance help – Comprehensive list of compliance options that small systems should consider and resources to guide assistance efforts.
- Technical help – Resources to help water systems understand the importance of monitoring and maintaining their distribution systems and to provide support for routine sampling and treatment technology decisions.
- Management help – Resources on developing and improving critical management functions, such as system operation and maintenance, long-term planning, and rate-setting.
- Financial help – Links to organizations that provide free or low-cost financial support for all aspects of water system operation and maintenance, and resources on developing a rate structure and financial planning for infrastructure repair and replacement.
- Partners – Information on organizations and programs that provide free or low-cost technical and financial assistance for small water systems.
Water Quality in Small Community Distribution Systems: A Reference Guide for Operators (PDF)
Produced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
A reference guide to assist the operators and managers of small- and medium-sized public water systems. This compilation provides a comprehensive picture of the impact of the water distribution system network on distributed water quality. This reference guide provides information on the following topics:
- Water supply and distribution process overview
- Distribution system infrastructure
- Drinking water regulations
- Distribution system water quality issues
- Distribution system monitoring, control and security
- Operational, financial and management strategies to address distribution system water quality
Watershed Central, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Helps organizations and other stakeholders find key information for implementing watershed management projects. The site includes guidance, tools, case studies and data resources that integrate EPA programs to help users share information, analyze data, and initiate or strengthen their own watershed efforts. The site also helps users find environmental data, watershed models, local organizations, guidance documents, and other information. There are links to watershed technical resources, funding sources, mapping applications, and information specific to individual watersheds.Watershed Central includes a feature called a wiki, a place where users can submit and edit content that is constantly updated by the watershed community (similar to Wikipedia). The wiki includes case studies, information on watershed organizations and various watershed management tools.
Watershed Academy of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
a focal point in EPA's Office of Water for providing training and information on implementing watershed approaches; includes the Information Transfer Series, which includes key watershed documents
Consumer Information site of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
A collection of the most frequently requested information on drinking water
Smallwatersupply.org
A website with resources for operators of small water-supply systems. Its simple structure and basic design is aimed at the many small operators who have little web experience. The main features of the site are a database of online documents, a calendar of events, and a blog. The document database and calendar are searchable using various criteria and will be continuously updated. The blog features updates on industry happenings, guest posts from experts, and highlights from technical assistance providers from around the country.
Small Drinking Water Systems: State of the Industry and Treatment Technologies to Meet the Safe Drinking Water Act Requirements. EPA Publication Number: 600-R-07-110
This document summarizes the current national statistics for mall drinking water systems (serving less than ten thousand people). It describes the current status of:
This document summarizes the current national statistics for mall drinking water systems (serving less than ten thousand people). It describes the current status of:
- regulations
- treatment technologies
- source water issues
- distribution system characteristics
- waste residual issues
- security/emergency response
- monitoring issues
Small Drinking Water Systems Handbook: Guide to “Packaged” Filtration and Disinfection Technologies with Remote Monitoring and Control Tools (PDF) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
A resource to provide information to the small system operator, manager, and/or owner about different approaches to providing safe and affordable drinking water to your community. The handbook includes information on:
- Common types of contaminants found in drinking water
- Common water supply problems and recommended solutions
- Applicable regulations, monitoring, and reporting
- Common regulatory violations
- Treatment technologies most likely to work on a variety of contaminants
- Specific information about innovative filtration and disinfection technologies
- Information on Point-of-Use/Point-of-Entry systems
- Information regaring remote monitoring and control of systems from off-side locations
- Real-world lessons learned
- Information about funding and technical resources to implement suitable technologies that meet applicable regulations
- Sources of additional information
Resources on WARNs (Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network)
- Utilities Helping Utilities: An Action Plan for Mutual Aid and Assistance Networks for Water and Wastewater Utilities
Published by American Water Works Association, March 2006
(also available in Spanish/Espanol: Ayuda y Asistencia Mutua: Estableciendo Redes de Ayuda y Asistencia Intraestatales para Agua Potable y Saneamiento)
(both are PDFs) - Fact sheets on WARNs from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (provide background on WARNs and describe their benefits to these actors) - all are PDFs:
