How Infrastructure Investments Improve Texas Colonias Quality of Life By: Kathryn Lucerno, Community Environmental Management Specialist, Communities Unlimited (El Paso, Texas) (Left to right) Maria Sanchez, Candelaria, TX resident and meter reader for Canedelaria WSC, Kathryn Lucero, Communities Unlimited, Jose Cabezuela, Presidio County Commissioner, Precinct 3, Cesario Vela, Communities Unlimited The term colonia is Spanish
Straight from the TAP – Conseulo McGowan
Consuelo McGowan is a Technical Assistance Provider for Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (SERCAP) in Delaware. She has been employed with SERCAP for two years. Prior to joining RCAP, Consuelo worked for the State of Delaware Division of Family Services as a Family Crisis Therapist for more than 10 years and as an Extension Agent
Rural Leaders Adapt and Advance Solutions in the Age of COVID-19
Kinsey Brown, RCAP The Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) is known for the incredible work done nationwide to ensure that rural communities have access to clean, safe drinking water and sanitation services. For more than 50 years, the partner organizations comprising the RCAP Network have worked with small communities to keep improving quality of life through technical assistance and training in water, wastewater and solid
RCAP Survey Shows Impact of COVID-19 on Rural and Tribal Water and Wastewater Systems
Survey of more than 1,100 rural and tribal water and wastewater systems shows projected impact on smallest systems across the country 6/1/20 – The Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP), launched a survey in early May to better understand the impacts of COVID-19 on small rural and tribal water and wastewater systems. The survey received 1,137
Small Water System Infrastructure Must be Part of Our Country’s COVID Recovery
By: Nathan Ohle, RCAP CEO & Radhika Fox, US Water Alliance CEO Every community – big and small, rural and urban – relies on water. Water is a public health and sanitation issue, as well as economic, agricultural, and recreational issue. No community can thrive without access to water. While most people in the United
Straight From the TAP – Alexander Brandon
Alexander Brandon is the Area Director for Communities Unlimited (CU) in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. He has been employed with CU for 14 years. Prior to joining RCAP, Alexander worked in water treatment as an operator at an iron and manganese removal plant in Columbus, Mississippi. Following that position, he worked as a Technical Assistance
Worm Farming in Schools Increases Composting Efforts
By: Rachel Silver, SERCAP Technical Assistance Provider Yes, you read that headline correctly. Worm farming is a sustainable business with huge growth potential. Worms convert food waste into nutrient-rich worm castings, one of the world’s best plant foods and soil conditioners, which can be sold to nurseries, gardening friends, eco shops, and farmers. Worm castings can be used
What Seems Like the New “Normal” Family Life is Out of Reach for Many Rural Americans
By Nathan Ohle, RCAP CEO As I look to my left, I see my wife and two dogs, relaxing on our couch and settled in after another long day. Both of my kids are safely sleeping in their beds. Most nights in our family look like this, yet everything these days feels remarkably different. The
A Drop of Knowledge: Disaster preparedness training can help water systems plan for new realities
By: Louis Martin, Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC, the Western RCAP) Staff Writer Editor’s Note: The following article was written before the current COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, but we are highlighting it because of how important it is for small water and wastewater systems to understand the resources available to them to plan for disasters that
Drop of Knowledge Special Edition: COVID-19 Policy Developments
During the last three weeks, the U.S. Congress has approved and the President has signed into law multiple phases of legislation – Phase I (H.R. 6074), Phase II (H.R. 6201) and Phase III (H.R.748) – addressing the COVID-19 crisis in a variety of ways. Congress is anticipating there will be five phases of recovery legislation, and the Rural Community Assistance Partnership