Special Initiatives

While water and wastewater systems across the country struggle with challenges around workforce, affordability, compliance, natural disasters and more, these challenges are exacerbated for small systems due to limited population, resources and capacity. As a potential solution, RCAP works to educate about and facilitate regional collaboration between communities around water and wastewater access and affordability. We provide technical assistance and training on regionalization to community leaders and system staff to help ensure the long-term success and sustainability of their water and wastewater systems. For more information, please visit the Regionalization page.

Agua4All improves access to and consumption of safe drinking water in schools and communities by building community partnerships to install water filling stations where they are needed the most. The program also helps bring awareness and develops long-term solutions to issues rural communities face in accessing safe drinking water. Agua4All was originally launched in 2014 by the California Endowment, RCAP’s western partner the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC), Community Water Center and Pueblo Unido CDC. Their success in California has led to opportunities to expand and implement pilot programs in Alabama, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, Texas, Virginia, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Program expansion has been made possible through partnerships with CoBank and the Chris Long Foundation. For more information, please visit the Agua4All page.

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) provide location intelligence to utilities. Utilities employ GIS to map and manage their water and drinking water infrastructure. An accurate and updated, online GIS-derived map supports operational efficiency, maintenance planning and disaster preparation and response. A living map of a utility’s infrastructure is the foundation of asset management. Small communities are often unaware of the benefits of GIS, or lack the financial and human resources to adopt it. RCAP is providing financial and technical assistance to help communities overcome those obstacles through its GIS mapping tools, resources and technical assistance.

Coming Home is a partnership between RCAP’s Rural Homecoming Initiative and the Smithsonian Institution to put the power of storytelling in the hands of rural youth. Young people in rural and tribal areas of the country are invited to learn about their community, document history and foster important discussions about their community’s future, all while putting together multi-media projects that connect them with their community and help to tell their community’s unique story. To learn more, please visit the Smithonian’s Museum On Main Street website.

Rural Homecoming is a national celebration and partnership with a local perspective – every participating community opts in to create its own unique Rural Homecoming event(s) and celebrate what it means to be rural. The Rural Homecoming organizing partners will provide every community with free access to communications and branding tools, as well as a toolkit and ideas on what Rural Homecoming might look like locally. To learn more, please visit Rural Homecoming.