Capacity Development Program
Capacity Development is the process through which water and wastewater systems acquire and maintain adequate technical, managerial, and financial capabilities to enable them to consistently provide safe drinking water and proper sanitation. In 2022, Alaska updated its Capacity Development strategy to support, promote, and improve the sustainability of Alaska’s Public Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems.
Efforts include water and wastewater system training, technical assistance, financial review of new public water systems, and coordination with other State, Federal and local agencies that are providing assistance to public water and wastewater systems.
Tools for Technical, Managerial and Financial Assistance
- Operation and Maintenance Best Practices
- Drinking Water Sampling Instructions: Guidebook and Wallchart
- Water Sampling Instructions for Commercial Printer
- 2024 Rural Utility Calendar with key reminders for Operators and Administrators
- Quick Guide for Newly Onboarded Utility Staff
- Affordability Model as Tool for Setting Water and Sewer Rates
- PFAS Communications Toolkit | US EPA
- Information about Asset Management | US EPA
- Interactive Tools for Owners and Operators | US EPA
Capacity Development Links
ADEC Capacity Development Program Reports
Capacity Development (CapDev) News and Highlights:
Tools for Communities with Wastewater Lagoons: Small, rural, and Tribal communities using lagoons commonly face challenges with Clean Water Act compliance. These communities may need more technical and financial capacity to identify paths forward for improving their systems and securing necessary funds for projects. The U.S. EPA has developed the Small Lagoon Community Economic Streamlining (SLCES) Tool and the First Stop Toolbox for Lagoons to help communities resolve common challenges and improve operations.
News on Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): The U.S. EPA continues their charge to research and implement controls to protect the public from PFAS. A new test order for PFAS was recently issued as part of the National PFAS Testing Strategy, a component of the PFAS Strategic Roadmap. Two institutions were also awarded 3.2 million dollars to further research the impact of these chemicals. EPA’s PFAS related press releases can be found here.
Training for Small Urban Water Systems: The CapDev program is developing a new training opportunity specifically tailored for subdivisions, homeowner associations and trailer parks. Topics will include: “what is a water system?”, “financials for small systems”, and “asset management for small systems”. The first offering is projected for Spring of 2025. Stay tuned for more information!
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