Environmental Finance Center
EFC Designation Overview:
On November 4, 2022, EPA announced the selection of 29 Environmental Finance Centers (EFCs) that will help communities across the country access federal funding for infrastructure projects that improve public health and environmental protection.
The EFCs will deliver targeted technical assistance to local governments, states, Tribes, Territories, and non-governmental organizations to protect public health and safeguard the environment. Under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the selected EFCs will help communities to access federal funding for water infrastructure improvements. The Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) was chosen to be one of those 29 EFCs.
Who we are:
RCAP, with its team of strategic partners, serve small, rural and Tribal communities with individualized technical assistance to ensure sustainability. In-depth financial, managerial and technical assistance is developed around any infrastructure need, including water, wastewater, and stormwater utilities. RCAP’s goals:
- Protect human and environmental health,
- Revitalize communities,
- Improve system’s compliance, sustainability, resilience, and
- Assist with securing funding.
Regional partners:
External partners:
American Water Works Association (AWWA), the University of California-Los Angeles’ Luskin Center (UCLA), the University of Illinois (U of I), and Water Finance Assistance (WFA)
RCAP Assistance:
RCAP’s technical assistance providers build long-term, trusted relationships while working to support communities. RCAP has focused its EFC work on the following project areas:
- Regionalization
- Tribal
- Private Wells/Unsewered residences
- Nontraditional systems such as manufacturing housing communities, schools
- Emerging contaminates – such as PFAS
- Stormwater
- Lead
- Stormwater
- Aging infrastructure
Resources:
- Link to EPA ICAT tool (the link to this tool is on this page) Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center | US EPA (higher priority to link than state intended use plans)
- State Intended Use plans: Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities,
- AWWA website: Community Stewardship A Water/Wastewater Utility Manager’s Guide to Community Stewardship
