EPA Posts Water System Partnership Webinars
In 2012, EPA and USDA conducted a series of webinars promoting the range of water system ‘partnerships’ – formerly known as restructuring. The webinars featured partnership case studies and highlighted the roles and perspectives of state regulatory agencies, funders, system decision-makers and technical assistance providers. All four webinars and associated talking points are now available on EPA’s website at http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/partnerships.cfm. An overview of each webinar in this series is as follows:
- Partnering Over Time: Vinton County Water Joins Jackson County Water (10/26/2011) – Featuring the partnership between two water systems in Ohio and how the nature of their partnership evolved from informal cooperation to interconnection.
- Communicating to Gain and Maintain Buy-in: The Logan Todd Regional Water Commission (2/29/2012) – Featuring a regional water commission formed by 12 water systems that each kept their own identities.
- Facilitating Partnerships: State and Funder Perspectives (8/8/2012) – Featuring Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation, Washington Department of Health and USDA Mississippi State Office discussing ways they encourage partnerships.
- Troubleshooting the Partnership Process (11/5/2012) – Featuring representatives from two water system partnerships in New Mexico, the Lower Rio Grande Public Water Works Authority and El Valle Water Alliance, discussing different aspects of the water system partnering process. Other panelists include USDA New Mexico State Office, New Mexico Finance Authority, New Mexico Environment Department Drinking Water Bureau, New Mexico Office of State Engineer, and the Rural Community Assistance Corporation.
EPA also offers links to more water system partnership case studies on these web pages:
