Rural Community Assistance Partnership Incorporated

RCAP WORKS WITH RURAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO ELEVATE RURAL VOICES AND BUILD LOCAL CAPACITY TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE, STARTING AT THE TAP. ACTIVITES INCLUDE PROVIDING TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO SMALL RURAL AND TRIBALCOMMUNITY WATER, WASTEWATER AND SOLID WASTE PROJECTS.

DRINKING AND WASTE WATER PROGRAM AND SOLID WASTE PROGRAM:THROUGH THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) RURAL DEVELOPMENT (RD), RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE (RUS), AND THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)'S OFFICE OF WATER, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING PROGRAMS ARE DIRECTED TOWARDS SMALL WATER AND WASTE DISPOSAL SYSTEMS THAT ARE EITHER CURRENT RECEIVERS OF OR ARE ELIGIBLE FOR USDA WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM FUNDING (SMALL RURAL AND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES WITH POPULATIONS UNDER 10,000). THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, RCAP WORKED WITH RURAL COMMUNITIES TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO BUILD TECHNICAL, MANAGERIAL AND FINANCIAL CAPACITY TO ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATIONS AS WELL AS IMPLEMENT MANAGERIAL AND FINANCIAL BEST PRACTICES TO ACHIEVE LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY. THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S (EPA) NATIONAL PRIORITY AREA 1: TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR SMALL PUBLIC WATER SYSTEMS TO ACHIEVE AND MAINTAIN COMPLIANCE PROGRAM IS GEARED TOWARDS BUILDING LOCAL TECHNICAL CAPACITY FOR SMALL COMMUNITY AND NON-COMMUNITY WATER SYSTEMS SERVING LESS THAN 10,000 IN POPULATION IN ALL 50 STATES, THE US TERRITORIES AND ON TRIBAL LANDS. THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S (EPA) NATIONAL PRIORITY AREA 2: RCAP CONTINUES TO BUILD OUT THE AGUA4ALL PROGRAM, PROVIDING WATER FILLING STATIONS AND WATER BOTTLES TO RURAL AND TRIBAL SCHOOLS, ENSURING EVERY STUDENT AND TEACHER IN THOSE SCHOOLS HAS ACCESS TO SAFE DRINKING WATER.THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S (EPA) NATIONAL PRIORITY AREA 4: IMPROVING WATER QUALITY THROUGH TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO PRIVATE WELL OWNERS PROGRAM IS GEARED TOWARDS OWNERS AND MANAGERS OF PRIVATE DRINKING WATER WELLS AS WELL AS STAKEHOLDERS THAT SERVE PRIVATE WELLS OWNERS TO HELP PROTECT WATER QUALITY IN PRIVATE DRINKING WATER WELLS AND TO ASSIST WELL OWNERS IN UNDERSTANDING HOW TO KEEP THEIR WELLS IN GOOD WORKING ORDER TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF THEIR FAMILIES. THROUGH ITS MANY PROGRAM PARTNERS, RCAP ALSO PROVIDED TRAINING, PRIVATE WELL SAMPLING SERVICES AND ADDITIONAL EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO RURAL RESIDENTS.

RESEARCH AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM:THE U.S. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION (EDA) RESEARCH GRANTS COVER TWO PROJECTS THAT FURTHER DEVELOP RESEARCH AROUND RURAL INNOVATION AND URBAN AND RURAL CONNECTIVITY. THESE PROJECTS BUILD OUT RCAP'S RESEARCH PORTFOLIO WITH TOPICS IMPORTANT TO THE RURAL COMMUNITIES IT SERVES.ONE OF RCAP'S STRATEGIC PROGRAMS IS REGIONAL UTILITY COLLABORATION, ALSO KNOWN AS REGIONALIZATION. RCAP HAS BEEN BUILDING INTERNAL CAPACITY AND NATIONAL AWARENESS TO HELP TO SUPPORT AND FACILITATE THESE ON THE GROUND PARTNERSHIPS SO THAT SMALL SYSTEMS HAVE AN ARRAY OF OPTIONS TO WORK WITH OTHER NEARBY SYSTEMS TO HELP BE MORE SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT. RCAP SUPPORTS VOLUNTARY PARTNERSHIPS AND HELPS TO FACILITATE REGIONALIZATION OPPORTUNITIES ON A SLIDING SCALE FROM THE MOST INFORMAL, SUCH AS SHARING EQUIPMENT, TO THE MOST FORMAL, SUCH AS FULL PHYSICAL AND/OR MANAGERIAL CONSOLIDATION AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.RCAP'S OPEN FOR BUSINESS HUB HELPS RURAL ENTREPRENEURS ACCESS FREE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING TO HELP LAUNCH AND GROW THEIR SMALL BUSINESS. POWERED BY THE WELLS FARGO OPEN FOR BUSINESS FUND AND SIEGEL FAMILY ENDOWMENT, THE E-LEARNING HUB PROVIDES ON-DEMAND TRAINING, LIVE WEBINARS AND ONE-ON-ONE CONSULTING DELIVERED BY RCAP'S NETWORK OF REGIONAL PARTNERS WORKING IN 50 STATES, PUERTO RICO, AND THE U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS.