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Newsletter #138 for July 2025 |
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Unlocking Rural Prosperity: The Rural Funding Guide is Here |
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The Rural Funding Guide has been introduced by the Partners for Rural Transformation (PRT) to address the longstanding issue of underinvestment in rural America. This guide offers practical strategies to help public and private funders effectively invest in rural communities. It emphasizes the importance of equitable systems and strong local partnerships to ensure that funding reaches the areas that need it most. The guide aims to inspire funders, policymakers, and advocates to reinvest in rural America and support its prosperity.
Below is a summary of the eight practices that inform how public and private funders can invest in rural prosperity:
- Put Community Voice First: Ensure that the voices of local community members drive development efforts, rather than generating buy in for a pre-determined idea.
- Build Community Adaptability: Enhance the ability of communities to adapt and respond to changing circumstances and economic conditions.
- Support Regional Approaches: Invest in initiatives that benefit multiple communities and leverage regional strengths and assets.
- Form Trusted Partnerships: Develop strong, trust-based relationships with local communities through direct engagement and collaboration.
- Make Capital Accessible: Simplify the process of accessing funds to reduce barriers for rural applicants.
- Increase Flexible Capital: Provide operational funding that allows local leaders to address specific community needs and invest in long-term solutions.
- Grow Grant Capital: Increase the availability and scale of grants to support comprehensive community development.
- Provide Multi-Year Support: Offer consistent, long-term funding to enable sustainable development and allow for thorough planning and implementation.
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| Explore the Guide |
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Great Water Utility Leaders Aren't Born; They're Developed.
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The Transformative Water Leadership Academy (TWLA) is where the next generation of water utility leaders focus on the foundations of sustainable community leadership: how to integrate social, environmental, and financial concerns into important decisions about water utilities.
This 10-month program addresses leadership for drinking water, wastewater, stormwater management, and water reuse. Participants will learn to balance short- and long-term priorities while creating value for all water stakeholders.
Tribal Utility staff are encouraged to apply! The application window is open until July 15.
For any questions about the program, please contact Lauren Steavpack, TWLA Project Manager at lsteavpack@awwa.org.
The TWLA Experience
The TWLA cohort of 50 selected participants will convene from January through October. Participants must attend:
- Two in-person sessions, each lasting three days
- 12 virtual sessions (2.5 hours each) throughout the program
- Four small group sessions (1.5 hours each) throughout the program
Learning experiences will include:
- Lectures and instructor-led discussion
- Small-group discussion and sharing
- Mentoring
- A capstone project or activity implementation
- 1-on-1 and peer mentoring
TWLA participants will have support to discover and define their personal leadership objectives and turn it into action, so they can lead with purpose. They will enjoy the support of staff, volunteers, and peers.
Applications are due July 15, 2025.
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| Apply Now! |
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Establishing the Rights: NARF's history and commitment to defending Tribal Nation Water Rights |
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"Learn how Tribal Nations protect their right to water in this Headwaters Report video.
'Without water, we won't survive.' - John Echohawk, NARF Executive Director
Native American Rights Fund Tribal Water Institute Director Daniel Cordalis interviews NARF Executive Director John Echohawk (Pawnee) about the Winter's Doctrine and other water law that establishes Tribal Nation water rights. Hear how NARF began aiding Tribal Nations with water rights issues and learn more about the ongoing commitment in this episode."
Read the accompanying blog post to this insightful interview in The Headwaters Report. |
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In The Newsroom With Tony Schick: Snake River Dams, Salmon Collapse, & Broken Promises To Tribes |
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"The hard-fought plan to restore salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest has been abruptly derailed, threatening one of the most significant tribal and environmental agreements in decades.
In this episode of In The Newsroom, Tony Schick of Oregon Public Broadcasting breaks down how the Trump administration scrapped a landmark deal that would have paved the way for breaching four Snake River dams to save salmon populations. Read his full story on ProPublica's website.
The agreement, developed under the Biden administration with tribes, states, and environmental groups, paused decades of litigation in exchange for bold steps: river restoration, hatchery investment, and renewable energy projects led by tribal nations. The goal was to replace the dams’ hydropower with solar, wind, and storage solutions, giving salmon a shot at recovery while meeting rising energy demands.
Schick explains how the deal began to unravel even before the administration change, with funding delays and personnel exits signaling trouble. Tribes now face yet another broken promise—despite holding treaty rights to fish in waters increasingly devoid of fish. With legal battles likely to return, this story underscores how fragile progress can be when politics collide with ecological urgency."
Find more videos like this on waterloop's YouTube Channel. |
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Tap Talk Episode 54
The Many Benefits of Iowa’s Private Well Grants Program
In this episode, we welcome some guests from our state’s neighbor to the West: Mindy Uhle, Bureau Chief of Environmental Health at the Iowa Department of Health & Human Services, and Erik Day, a Senior Environmental Specialist at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Mindy and Erik work on Iowa’s Private Well Grants Program, a cross-agency effort to provide Iowans with free or discounted well services. (See more from HHS and DNR). The program was established through the Iowa Groundwater Protection Act, and bolsters relationship between all areas of Iowa’s private well community in addition to saving well owners money.
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Featured Events for Tribal Water Systems |
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Tribal & Municipal Water Operator Workshop
July 16, 2025 | Hankinson, ND
Midwest Assistance Program
This free training will assist tribal and municipal water operators in maintaining compliance and provide strategies for water system protection. Topics covered include chlorine and colorimeters, coliform sampling, flushing and hydrants, disinfection, LCR and LCRR, cross connections, etc. The class will also feature a tour of a water plant.
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Wastewater Inspections and Compliance
July 29-31, 2025 | Rock Hill, SC
Indian Health Service
This free, 3-day training for tribal wastewater operators provides an overview of wastewater treatment techniques from preliminary (e.g. bar screening) through tertiary treatment and focuses on how to inspect systems and maintain EPA compliance. |
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Unique Challenges of Tackling PFAS in Surface Water
August 13, 2025 | 11:00 AM MDT
American Water Works Association & Indian Health Service
This free webinar will educate water utilities on comprehensive aspects of PFAS treatment and management based on real-life experience from pilot planning and execution to full-scale treatment and residual management. The lessons learned from recent PFAS treatment pilot testing on filtered water (GAC, ion exchange, membranes, etc.) will provide practical information that can be applied to other pilot tests. One utility with share operational experiences in treating raw water for PFAS using powdered activated carbon (PAC). Another utility will share its experience in managing finished water PFAS levels by source change as well as replacing their existing filter media. Lastly, an overview of residuals management practices and related regulatory and legislative actions that have led to limitations on land application and associated cost increases will be reviewed.
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Recent Blog Posts at WaterOperator.org |
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Texas Water Supply Endangered by Workforce Shortage
Read Here » |
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Pathways for Career Development in Wastewater Treatment
Read Here »
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Groundwater & Well Care for Public Water Systems is a free online course from WaterOperator.org. Certificates are provided and the course is currently pre-approved for 2 hours continuing education credit in a number of states.
Click here to learn more. |
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WaterOperator.org is a free service, grant-funded to support small community water and wastewater operators with comprehensive resources and information in one easy-to-use place. We also serve the 800+ training, primacy, and technical service organizations, by helping operators get to their information. We aren't selling or advertising anything. Call us at 1-866-522-2681 for assistance. |
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