Regionalization

RCAP has facilitated hundreds of regionalization projects across the country, helping to spur collaboration and drive economies of scale for small rural communities. RCAP often assumes the role of a neutral third-party facilitator, guiding communities through the often complex steps of the regionalization process and providing them with resources and services so that they can make informed decisions about their future.

Why Regionalization?

We believe regionalization helps to:

Solve common challenges like access to affordable supplies, sharing the cost of certified operators, or making rates more reasonable.
Build resiliency in the face of both predicted and unpredicted changes and events, such as changing population and demographic trends or natural disasters and other emergencies.
Create a culture of collaboration (rather than competition) that enables utilities to lean on or support others, leading to better outcomes for all.

If you would like more information on regionalization, you can view our one-pager here.

In addition to our one-pager, we have a guide on regionalization. The guide will explain the diverse spectrum of regional collaboration options available, examples of how they have been implemented successfully including best practices, benefits, and barriers, as well as tools and resources to help navigate the process. This guidebook is meant for both community and water/wastewater utility leaders and staff as well as for the technical assistance providers (TAPs) that serve them. Access it here.

Regionalization Research

We’ve noticed the need for a better understanding of regionalization in small, rural, and tribal communities including the broad spectrum of activities that regionalization encompasses, how to go about it, and what to watch out for. With that in mind, we have undertaken a comprehensive research effort since 2019 to understand regionalization experiences at the community level in small, rural, and tribal communities across the nation and analyzed existing and potential policies at each level of government to develop practical findings and policy recommendations. The results of our work are a series of dynamic research reports on regionalization that we hope can be used in practical ways by both community leaders and policymakers at all levels of government.