Public Purchase Felton’s Water System
An Overview of the Successful Public Purchase of the Felton Water System
In 2008, at the request of Felton households, the San Lorenzo Valley Water District purchased the Felton water system from California American Water. As described in this overview of the purchase by Food & Water Watch, public ownership saved a Felton household about 30%, or $500, in 2011.
Click the link below to read the summary.
Water Remunicipalization Tracker
Water Remunicipalization Tracker
The Water Justice project has compiled examples of how communities in different parts of the world are moving from failed privatized water management to successful publicly managed water and wastewater services. These examples are 
presented on this Water Remunicipalization Tracker. Approaches differ depending on local circumstances but undoubtedly lessons can be learned from the different but inspiring experiences of remunicipalization.
This tracker is as a work-in-progress to which everyone can contribute. Existing cases will be updated and new examples added, with the support of water campaigners, public water utility managers, trade unionists and others committed to successful remunicipalization.
Click the link below to explore the tracker.
HUD Technical Assistance
HUD Technical Assistance
HUD's technical assistance is designed to provide resources, tools, and support for recipients of HUD funding, such as state and local government grantees, public housing authorities, tribes and tribally-designated housing entities, Continuums of Care, and nonprofits.
HUD's technical assistance resources include:
- Information and "how to guides" through online resources, guidebooks, FAQs, and other information
- Training and knowledge-building through online courses and webinars
- Responses to basic program, policy and system questions via the Ask A Question virtual help desk
- In-depth, program assistance and capacity building to improve the design and delivery of programs and services funded by HUD
Click the link below to learn more about technical assistance HUD provides for communities considering leveraging HUD funding for water infrastructure investments.
Environmental Finance Centers
Environmental Finance Centers
The Environmental Finance Centers (EFCs) deliver targeted technical assistance to, and partner with states, tribes, local governments, and the private sector in providing innovative 
solutions to help manage the costs of environmental financing and program management. Each of the 10 EPA regions has a dedicated EFC with a focus area for that region. For example, the Environmental Finance Center at the University of Maryland for EPA Region 3 serves Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia, and focuses on offering technical assistance through direct community engagement; policy analysis and decision support tools; communications and outreach; and experiential learning and leadership development to strengthen the capacity of local decision-makers to manage change for a healthy environment and an enhanced quality of life.
Click the link below to learn more about each region's EFC.
EPA Municipal Ombudsman
EPA Municipal Ombudsman
The Municipal Ombudsman serves as a resource for communities seeking to comply with the Clean Water Act and works directly with EPA leadership and appropriate offices at headquarters and regional offices. Specific resources include:
- Federal assistance opportunities
- Technical assistance
- Flexibility available under the Clean Water Act, and
- Information on integrated planning and example municipal integrated plans.
Contact the Ombudsman:
Jamie Piziali, Municipal Ombudsman
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 202-564-1709
Click the link below to access more information about resources and assistance the Ombudsman provides.
Water Finance Clearinghouse
Water Finance Clearinghouse
The Water Finance Clearinghouse is an easily navigable web‐based portal to help communities locate information and resources that will assist them in making informed decisions for 
their drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure needs. The Water Finance Clearinghouse includes two searchable databases: one contains available funding sources for water infrastructure and the second contains resources, such as reports, weblinks, webinars etc. on financing mechanisms and approaches that can help communities access capital to meet their water infrastructure needs.
The Water Finance Clearinghouse was developed by EPA’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Resiliency Center, an information and assistance center identifying water infrastructure financing approaches that help communities reach their public health and environmental goals.
Click the link below to access the clearinghouse.
State Revolving Fund Switchboard
State Revolving Fund Switchboard
The Southwest Environmental Finance Center's State Revolving Fund Switchboard is a repository of all 51 State Revolving Funds' rules, regulations, intended use plans, and other policies that inform how that state administers its SRF. The interactive map, previewed below, allows users to choose which state is of interest and access a compiled set of resources all in one place.
Click the link below to access the resource.
Rural Community Assistance Corporation
Rural Community Assistance Corporation
Founded in 1978, RCAC is a nonprofit organization that provides training, technical and financial resources and advocacy so rural communities can achieve their goals and visions. RCAC envisions vibrant, healthy and enduring rural communities throughout the West. Among is broad programmatic work, RCAC works with rural water, wastewater and solid waste systems to make them sustainable. The organization's environmental services are directed to small, low-income communities in rural areas and Indian Country to ensure that they comply with state and federal regulations, and include:
- On-site support to rural water and wastewater staff and boards to build, improve, finance, operate and manage systems, and solid waste management technical assistance and training
- Water and wastewater training that provides a comprehensive array of training for rural water and wastewater staff and boards
- Agua4All that brings safe drinking water to schools and public places in communities throughout rural California
- Facilitation for regionalization that brings multiple small systems together to become more sustainable
Click the link below to learn more about RCAP and its array of programs.
How Distributed Water Infrastructure Can Boost Resilience
How Distributed Water Infrastructure Can Boost Resilience in the Face of COVID-19 and Other Shocks
COVID-19 — and the ensuing economic crisis — is affecting all sectors of society, including water. Across the country, water utilities are facing lower revenues, more unpaid and late water bills, and higher costs to protect essential staff from COVID-19. These financial challenges are affecting much-needed investments in water infrastructure, both now and in the future. A recent Pacific Institute and WaterNow article summarizes the financial impacts of COVID-19 on water utilities, examines how this may reduce or delay water infrastructure investments, and explores how investments in innovative distributed water infrastructure can address some of these issues while also fostering economic recovery, system flexibility, and long-term resilience.
Click the link below to read Pacific Institute and WaterNow's September 2020 article.
River Network
River Network
River Network empowers and unites people and communities to protect and restore rivers and other waters that sustain all life by connecting local water organizations and empowering organizations and individuals with the tools, training, and resources needed for success, among other strategies.
The Network is aligned around 4 key issues: (1) Safe, Clean, Affordable Drinking Water, (2) Resilient Cities and Communities, (3) Healthy Rivers in Agricultural Landscapes, and (4) Robust & Effective Water Laws and Policies.
As a Tap into Resilience Partner, WaterNow is actively working with River Network on an initiative to identify best practices for building trust-based relationships between water utilities and community groups, and to put these practices into action.
Click the link below to learn more about River Network.
