As Rural Communities Lose Out on Billions in Water Infrastructure Funding, RCAP Convenes National Workshop to Close the Gap
For Immediate Release
Contact: Coye Gerald
Communications Manager
As Rural Communities Lose Out on Billions in Water Infrastructure Funding, RCAP Convenes National Workshop to Close the Gap
Event unites federal, state and local leaders to help rural communities access critical funding
Denver, Colo. (August 20, 2026) – The Rural Community Assistance Partnership Incorporated (RCAP) held its 2026 National State Revolving Fund (SRF) Infrastructure Financing and Training Workshop this week, convening federal and state leaders, technical assistance providers and local officials. Every year, billions of dollars flow through SRFs to fix the United States’ aging drinking water and wastewater infrastructure. Too often, communities in need of this funding are the ones least equipped to compete for the resources meant to help them. RCAP’s workshop is designed to help close that gap and ensure these towns can better navigate and access SRFs, equipping local leaders with the tools, resources and relationships needed for success.
Jointly administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and individual states, SRFs represent one of the country’s largest sources of water infrastructure funding. However, many rural communities find themselves held back from the funding due to challenges such as limited staff capacity, complex application requirements, and steep costs of project planning. The 2026 workshop is built around the obstacles rural utilities face every day, with sessions on:
- Achieving SRF compliance through technical assistance
- Budgeting and rate-setting strategies
- Learning to identify and overcome the barriers to access SRF dollars
- Cybersecurity for small water systems
- What declining capitalization grants and the wind-down of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funding mean going forward
- Real case studies from communities that have successfully navigated the SRF process
“State Revolving Funds are one of the most powerful tools rural communities have to fix aging water infrastructure, but too many of these communities are left behind due to the unique obstacles they face,” said RCAP Chief Executive Officer Olga Morales-Pate. “This workshop exists to ensure communities get the hands-on support and training they need to compete for and secure this funding.”
“Communities bring invaluable, on-the-ground perspectives to conversations about infrastructure funding,” said RCAP Government Affairs Director Jacki Ponti-Lazaruk. “Workshops like this one strengthen the partnership between communities and the federal and state partners who support them, so SRF programs can continue to reflect the needs of the people they serve.”
As Congress and state legislatures weigh the future of water infrastructure funding, RCAP’s workshop offers a timely reminder that the money is only as effective as a community’s ability to access it.
To learn more about RCAP’s mission and impact, visit www.rcap.org.
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About Rural Community Assistance Partnership Incorporated (RCAP)
The Rural Community Assistance Partnership Incorporated (RCAP) is a national network of nonprofit partners working to provide technical assistance, training, resources, and support to rural communities across every state, the U.S. territories, and Tribal lands. Through RCAP’s regional partners, more than 400 technical assistance providers (TAPs) build long-term, trusted relationships with thousands of communities across the country.
