Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP)

❗ Official News ❗

RCAP's Fiscal Year 2025 Impact Report is being released on Thursday, June 18. We published a teaser last week, but the full report has crossed the finish line, and we are excited to share our digital report with you all.

The Water Loss Workshop series continues! This time, RCAP and Cavanaugh are partnering with Midwest Assistance Program, Inc. - MAP to bring this interactive training to Kansas City, Missouri. Similar to previous sessions, attendees will learn water balance concepts, how to use the free audit water software from American Water Works Association, and other necessary skills.

If you are in the Kansas City area, please consider attending this workshop on July 9, from 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Register here -> https://site.pheedloop.com/event/EVEJMEORWVPUL/home

Interested in sharing innovative approaches and best management practices for financing water and wastewater infrastructure? How about increasing awareness of initiatives and new developments within the State Revolving Funds? Or perhaps you just desire networking and peer-to-peer development with partner organizations?

We have a workshop dedicated to all of these things in Denver, Colorado, from August 17 - 20. Registration is open here -> https://site.pheedloop.com/event/EVETHEWSQVBZU/home

Our Annual Impact Report is slated to be released soon but we wanted to provide a little preview of the work completed in FY25, with the help of all six regional partners in the RCAP Network. As we release the full report, we will dive more into how many residents were served, how many infrastructure funds were leveraged, and various case studies throughout our served areas.

Keep an eye on our socials as we move closer to its release date!

Check out our newest micro-learning video on YouTube, "Understanding Wells and Groundwater Treatment", https://youtu.be/akulUCAkEdA. This is part of RCAP's micro-learning series on YouTube, dedicated to providing free educational resources to those wanting to learn about the water and/or wastewater industry.

Understanding Wells and Groundwater Treatment Groundwater is one of the most important sources of drinking water for small and rural communities. It's reliable, cost effective and often naturally filtere...

Today, RCAP hosted its first day of a cybersecurity train-the-trainer. The training was delivered by American Water Works Association using its own cybersecurity tools and resources, in order to prepare RCAP Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs) to teach small rural water and wastewater utilities how to recognize and reduce cyber risks. It blends core fundamentals (threats, EPA/CISA guidance, cyber hygiene, incident response) with adult-learning techniques so TAPs can confidently coach operators, Superintendents, and Boards with limited IT staff or budgets.

In collaboration with Cavanaugh and Great Lakes Community Action Partnership, RCAP is hosting a Water Loss training in Indianapolis, Indiana on June 2. This pilot workshop provides a comprehensive introduction to the AWWA M36 methodology, the gold standard for water loss control. Participants will receive expert training on the AWWA free water audit software (version 6). Tailored for small utilities, this course offers the essential tools needed to evaluate system performance and manage water losses after the audit.

For any interested folks in the area, you can register here, https://site.pheedloop.com/event/EVEGXAWTZVJBD/home/. We encourage attendance from anyone in the industry interested in water loss.

Earlier this week, RCAP was able to make it out to a site visit in City of Estacada - Government, Oregon with RCAC. Estacada is a town of about 5,000 people, right on the Clackamas River. This town is one of the many communities being served by RCAP's Department of Transportation, Thriving Communities Program.

During this site visit, there was a stakeholder session that discussed infrastructure improvement, safety and growth initiatives within the school district, and the redevelopment of a former 90-acre mill site. The goal of this redevelopment project is to bring stable economic growth to this growing community, allowing its residents to meet their needs without having to leave the community. Attendees included the Mayor of Estacada, representatives from the school district, and representatives from the Economic Development Commission.

A little late, but we have finally published our first Rural Matters of 2026! As many of you know, RCAP publishes a quarterly magazine, focusing on specific technical assistance (TA) provided by our regional partner's technical assistance providers. Specifically in this issue, we are focusing on wastewater systems, community resilience, and watersheds. Be sure to flip through our newest edition here --> https://online.flippingbook.com/view/344425965/

During DC Water Week 2026, RCAP convened a group of national funders to engage in a focused dialogue on the capacity challenges and emerging opportunities facing rural communities. The discussion centered on advancing community-led regionalization, strengthening partnerships, and developing coordinated national strategies to support sustainable rural development.

The gathering fostered meaningful networking and collaboration, with intentional opportunities to align around a shared vision for community-driven, regional solutions. Conversations highlighted the critical role of cross-sector partnerships in addressing infrastructure needs, particularly in the water sector, while also exploring how these approaches can extend beyond water to drive broader economic and community development outcomes.