The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made available a report titled "Re-Energizing the Capacity Development Program: Findings and Best Practices from the Capacity Development Re-Energizing Workgroup." This report is the product of the workgroup’s goals to better understand EPA's drinking water program’s existing implementation efforts, evaluate roadblocks to developing capacity and identify best practices to facilitate state program implementation. In 2010, EPA partnered with eight states and the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators to form the workgroup to assess the Capacity Development program’s progress and bring renewed attention to it. The program was established under the 1996 Amendments to the Safe Drinking Water Act to provide a framework for EPA, states and systems to work together to ensure that drinking water systems attain short- and long-term capacity.
Public drinking water systems regulated by EPA and delegated states and tribes provide drinking water to about 90 percent of Americans. Providing safe drinking water is a partnership that involves EPA, the states, tribes, water systems and their operators.
The report provides case studies that may be useful for states, utilities and regions in their capacity development drinking water programs.