In November, as part of its Water Technical Assistance (WaterTAP) program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched a new, no-cost technical assistance effort focused on reducing exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and other emerging contaminants in small or disadvantaged communities. EPA said theRead More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced the availability of $49 million in new technical assistance funding to help rural, small and Tribal communities address critical wastewater and water quality challenges. The new funding will be awarded to technical assistance providers who will helpRead More

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) in July announced the renewal of their Cooperative Agreement, reaffirming their commitment to collaborate on improving water infrastructure and services for small and rural communities across the United States.  This renewed agreement builds upon a long-standingRead More

| By Dr. Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi For years, thousands of small drinking water systems in the United States have been facing big financial challenges that undermine their ability to provide their customers with safe and affordable drinking water. As a result of these challenges, manyRead More

| By Robert Sheets Last summer, Ellory Monks and Shalini Vajjhala writing for the Brookings Institute, noted that $850 billion of funding is coming from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). They rightfully note that funding like this typically goes to larger, wealthier communities.Read More

The Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) has been selected to lead an initiative to engage emerging leaders in the water industry at both the staff and governing board/council level to ensure that the sustainability of rural water and wastewater systems is maintained in the comingRead More

In December, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the availability of $25.7 million in grant funding for organizations to provide technical assistance and training to support small drinking water and wastewater systems that are often located in rural communities. EPA’s funding will help ensureRead More

The National Rural Water Association has joined #RebuildRural, a coalition of more than 200 organizations from across the country encouraging the Trump White House to prioritize rebuilding infrastructure in rural America. “Those of us in rural communities have seen our infrastructure deteriorate, jeopardizing jobs, ourRead More

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack recently announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $331 million in 85 projects that will improve water and wastewater infrastructure in rural areas in 39 states and American Samoa. Community infrastructure investments are a key piece of USDA’sRead More