RURAL ROUND-UP Recent wins and happenings Regionalization and Resiliency eLearning is Live. Check out the new module that targets individuals involved in the utility’s technical, managerial, and financial (TMF) decision-making. Technical assistance providers (TAPs) can also use this module to understand how disaster planning, resilience, and regionalization can be part of the broader TMF capacity development work for systems. rcap.talentlms.com/catalog/info/id:223 Impact Report 2021 The RCAP network made the most of the historical challenges and embraced the opportunities to truly hear, elevate, and address rural America’s diverse and compelling voices and needs. Check out the full Impact Report at rcap.org/report . Communication Training. RCAP is partnering with Rogue Water Lab on a webinar series for communities and technical assistance providers on the ABC’s of water communication. Topics include assessment, branding, content and strategy, as well as collaboration and storytelling. The series kicks off in October, so stay tuned! Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan. This summer, the EPA released guidance (at epa.gov , search “revised lead and copper rule”) to help communities and water utilities identify lead pipes that connect drinking water service to homes and other buildings, including a $15 billion investment into the Biden–Harris administration’s Lead Pipe and Paint Action Plan. The guidance specifies that utilities can implement the $15 billion into lead service line replacement funding, passed under IIJA/BIL, and seeks to strengthen the Lead and Copper Rule (LCR) (at epa.gov, search “lead and copper rule”). Be on the lookout for a newly developed toolkit that helps TAPs communicate lead service line replacement projects.
RECENT WINS and Happenings
This year was RCAP’s first in-person conference since 2019, and at over 250 attendees, it was an overwhelming success. The packed schedule included speakers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Low Income Household Water Assistance Program, and the mayor of Godwin, North Carolina. Several breakout sessions for technical assistance providers covered topics such as environmental justice, water and wastewater rate setting, and temporary debris management. During the conference, we even had a field day session where participants could tour a recycling plant or gain hands-on experience working on a wastewater or drinking water system. The learning possibilities were endless and exciting for everyone who managed to attend this year’s conference. We’re looking forward to the 2023’s National Conference in Boston.
4 2022, ISSUE 3
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