What's Next for SmallWaterSupply.org
Our users and readers (You!) are what make our website and newsletter successful and special, so we felt it was important to be transparent about our current situation, which we mentioned in last week's newsletter. To summarize, the grants that have funded SmallWaterSupply.org have ended. Partnering with RCAP, we have secured funding for helping tribal utilities in Regions 6, 8 and 9 (see our new Tribal Utility News), but we will be limited in maintaining the website in the manner you all have become accustomed to.
If you've ever talked with us about the website, you've likely heard how cost-effective it is for us as a university entity to hire students for data entry (vs. federal entities hiring contractors). Our student workers have been the heart of the site, making the tremendous resources of our document and event databases possible. Not only has it allowed us to do more with less, but we have also taught 12 university students about the water and wastewater industry and the significance of small communities throughout the country. They have gained an appreciation for the needs of small systems that will stay with them, which, we are very proud of. For today, as we move forward, our current source of funding dictates that we do so with a specific focus.
SmallWaterSupply.org will continue to provide a weekly newsletter plus a new monthly tribal newsletter, but our other document and event updates will focus on our tribal program. Because tribal utilities face many of the same challenges as other small, rural systems, our blog post topics will still be relevant to most. However, you'll see more news and information specific to tribes and their unique cultural and jurisdictional circumstances.
This biggest anticipated shift will be in how our databases are updated. Event data entry will focus on Regions 6, 8 and 9 and additionally, on nationwide online events. Other events will be added as time allows, but the reality is that we will not be able to keep up. Additionally, documents that are more general or nationally-focused will be added, but our ability to add state-specific materials will be limited.
For our part, we are aggressively pursuing additional sources of funding for this free, vital resource in hopes of maintaining the databases and continuing to provide hands on support to operators all over the country. That said, we are reaching out to our readers and users for support. Here's what you can do to help:
Operators and other site users - Send an email to info@smallwatersupply.org telling us how you've used the site and how it has helped you or your community. Please indicate whether you prefer your message remain anonymous or if we can post it on the site as a brief case study or testimonial. Showing others just how valuable a resource we have and the variety of ways it has helped, will help us.
State staff and water organizations - How can we, together, help achieve your goals and better serve small systems? We know funding is in high demand and short supply, but please contact us if you see a possibility of working together: 217-333-0956 (Steve Wilson) or sdwilson@illinois.edu.
