Here are some important questions to ask.

Sometimes just finding out the right questions to ask can put us on the right track. This section is meant to get you started down that track. You may have other questions as well! 

Here are links to two sources that have a lot of useful and understandable information about water and wastewater systems:

A Drop of Knowledge: the Non-Operator's Guide to Drinking Water Systems

A Drop of Knowledge: the Non-Operator's Guide to Wastewater Systems

For more sources, see the last page of this guide.

Helpful knowledge to discover for making a difference in your community

1. What type of public water system (PWS) do I have? The following are categories that are often used to determine regulations and regulating agencies, appropriate plans, funding possibilities.

   • Ownership type: public, private, municipal

   • Number of people or households served

   • Water system capacity: how many gallons can be treated?

   • Infrastructure capacity: how many tanks, treatment 

   • Compliance: who is the regulatory agency? Are there any outstanding or repeated violations?

   • Economics of the community and PWS: what are the funding streams for the water system? What reserves are available for repairs and upgrades? What is the economic basis for the community? Does the community qualify for any special funding consideration?

   • Source water: surface, groundwater, groundwater under influence of surface water, purchased?

   • Disaster and climate resilience and planning

2. Where does the funding come from for operations, maintenance, and improvements in your water and wastewater systems?

3. Affordability for users, especially the most vulnerable

4. Identify types of new funding that are available to improve the current system

   • What are the requirements for getting new grants?  E.g., outside audits, capital improvement plans, asset management plans, size of the system,  the impact given population size.

5. Good planning 

   • What are the proper channels for getting a project accepted?

   • National and regional trend lines

   • (insert list from RCAP of types of plans)

6. Good governance

   • Understanding local governments - what are the roles of mayors, judge executives, city council, magistrates? Who makes decisions about what (for example, what is the role of a mayor & city council members? Do they have equal votes on decisions for their cities?)

   • Representation on water boards

     • Are they mandatory for some water systems?

     • What is the advantage of having a water board?

   • Democratic practices

   • Equity

   • Transparency

   • Accountability

   • Legality

7. Good fiscal management

   • The importance of transparent and complete record-keeping

   • Audits

8. Capacity to handle necessary maintenance, replacement, and improving of the physical infrastructure:

   • Appropriate staffing, training, and technology transfer

   • Appropriate design

   • Appropriate maintenance

   • Appropriate collaboration

9.  Disaster and climate resilience

   • Does your county have a disaster preparedness plan?

   • Who are the people responsible for creating a disaster preparedness plan?

   • Is this available for the public, including contact information for how to communicate with those making the plan?

   • Who are the experts that can test the water, assess and mitigate the environmental damage in addition to human life?

   • Where are the “hot hubs” where local people can go that always has electricity and heat/cooling in case of an emergency?

   • Do you know how extreme weather is affecting your community?

   • How does extreme weather affect my water system? How can we anticipate these effects and be more prepared to avert those problems?

     • Flooding

     • Sudden freezing and thawing

     • Wildfires

     • Drought

     • High winds and storms

     • Unexpected combinations of the above

10. Power relationships in the surrounding community

    • Equitable access to resources?

      • What do people say about this? Is there grumbling about this (i.e. complaining on Facebook)?

      • Where are public records published? Are they accessible to everyone and do people know about it?

      • Who is available in communities to help people with few resources and be an advocate?

    • Do some people have more ‘pull’ than others in decisions about the systems?

      • Who has state and federal connections?

      • What are the proper channels for getting projects accepted? Is everyone going through the proper channels?

      • What is the recourse if someone is not going through proper channels?

    • Who is most vulnerable or likely to get marginalized?

    • Are some people stigmatized or stereotyped?