Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP)

10/16/2026

On average, there are 125 natural disasters each year in the United States. These disasters can significantly strain and damage critical water/wastewater systems, potentially leaving rural communities without drinkable water for days on end. As we , RCAP and its regional partners work with a multitude of rural communities to ensure they are prepared for disasters and help communities recover from catastrophic storm damage.

With funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, RCAP was able to record a few stories directly talking about the extensive damage after a disaster and how RCAP’s regional partners stepped in to help recovery efforts.

- A video from Puerto Rico, https://youtu.be/4bD272IKA4w?si=4B-ESBkyCwRr5dJp
- A video from Kentucky, https://youtu.be/oaia8BECul4?si=mdKRaqZw5zv6iDOu
- A video from Florida, https://youtu.be/ErJBzm59N4c?si=_Y4RgOAtHc2tnclt

10/15/2026

Behind every water system improvement, infrastructure project, and community success are people who refuse to give up when challenges arise. Today, on , we're proud to launch RCAP Voices, a new podcast featuring the people, partnerships, and solutions driving positive change in rural America.

As we reflect on what life would be like without reliable water, our first episode, The Water We Take for Granted, takes listeners to Pennsylvania to follow one family's journey to secure safe drinking water and the realities facing millions of Americans who rely on private wells.

🎧Listen to Episode 1: https://rcapvoices.substack.com/p/the-water-we-take-for-granted
🔔Subscribe for future episodes: https://rcapvoices.substack.com/

If you liked this story, please share it with your friends, colleagues, and community partners to help us spread the word.

10/14/2026

Water is a necessity for all communities, especially communities. Join RCAP and its six regional partners as we on October 15. At least 2 million Americans do not have access to clean drinking water and RCAP has over 400 Technical Assistance Providers throughout Rural America to help change that. You can learn more about RCAP’s mission and programs here, https://www.rcap.org/about-us/.

10/13/2026

Water touches every part of our daily lives, but behind every tap is a story. On Imagine A Day Without Water, we're launching RCAP Voices to share stories from the communities and people working every day to improve water and wastewater services across rural and Tribal communities.

Join us October 15 for our first episode at https://rcapvoices.substack.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

10/12/2026

We're honored to receive an $11 million award from USDA Rural Development that will enable RCAP and our regional partners to continue providing hands-on technical assistance to rural, Tribal, and Colonias communities nationwide.

Thank you to USDA Rural Development for its continued partnership and commitment to rural America.

NEWS RELEASE - USDA Rural Development Announces $40 Million to Support Technical Assistance, Training to Protect, Improve Rural Water and Waste Disposal Systems USDA Rural Development sent this bulletin at 09/28/2026 01:06 PM EDT Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. NEWS RELEASE...

10/09/2026

Great conversations in Eagle Lake, Minnesota, this week. RCAP's Lisa Fought and our partners at Midwest Assistance Program, Inc., including Jackie Luttrell, joined a roundtable hosted by Representatives Finstad and Johnson to hear from local residents and leaders about their water and wastewater infrastructure needs.

Listening to and supporting rural communities is at the heart of our work. Thanks to our hosts for the invitation and for their continued support of USDA infrastructure programs.

10/05/2026

Have a success story, lesson learned, or innovative solution to share?

The Call for Abstracts is now open for RCAP's 2027 National State Revolving Fund Workshop!

We're looking for presentations that can help communities successfully plan, finance, and implement water and wastewater infrastructure improvements.

If you've worked on projects serving rural or Tribal communities, or other communities facing infrastructure challenges, we'd love to hear from you.

📅 Submit by December 4, 2026

✈️ Submit your abstract: https://ow.ly/4WVh50ZUv6L

👉 Visit the workshop website: https://ow.ly/kbp750ZUv6M

10/01/2026

Have you heard of EPA's Source Water Protection program? Its goal is to promote and support practices that protect and maintain the quality of drinking water supplies which safeguard our public health, safety, and the security of our drinking water supplies. To bring awareness of this program, RCAP is joining the celebration of the 6th annual Source Water Protection (SWP) week from September 27 - October 3, 2026.

For more information on Source Water Protection week, click here, https://www.awwa.org/communications-and-outreach/source-water-protection-week/.

For more information on EPA's Source Water Protection program, click here, https://www.epa.gov/sourcewaterprotection.

09/30/2026

Today is the last day at . Be sure to swing by Booth #2508 if you want to chat with us! RCAP is always excited to make new connections and talk about the meaningful work our regional technical assistance providers do in rural America.

09/28/2026

RCAP is honored to join the Water-AI Nexus Advisory Council. As discussions around AI and water management accelerate, our role is clear: bring rural perspectives to the conversation and help ensure new technologies support sustainable, community-driven solutions for rural America.

We're excited for this opportunity to collaborate with leaders across the water sector and advocate for the communities we serve every day. Rural voices matter, and we're proud to help ensure they are represented in as many spaces as possible.

Learn about this exciting opportunity here, https://water-ai-nexus.org/