Resources
NCLB Steering Committee members and partners will continue updating this page with the latest resources and case studies in regionalization.
Guidance
(American Water Works Associaiton)
An overview of how regional collaborations fit into the AWWA’s Water 2050 vision.
(Environmental Protection Agency)
The Environmental Finance Advisory Board (EFAB) published a report on financial strategies for regionalization, including six key recommendations.
(Rural Community Assistance Partnership)
A robust and nuanced guide offers detailed strategies for implementing regionalization projects effectively.
(Environmental Policy Innovation Center)
A strategic review addressing equity concerns in the water sector, offering eight critical recommendations to improve health equity outcomes related to water access.
(California State Water Resources Control Board)
A nine-step regionalization guide, including a graphic representation, provides a roadmap for successful water management collaborations.
(Environmental Finance Center Network)
A white paper describes shared management as a non-structural regionalization strategy that allows small water systems to maintain ownership while collaborating to achieve economies of scale.
(River Network)
A summary of state involvement in regionalization and consolidation efforts including case studies to illustrate successful initiatives.
(National Rural Water Association)
A post from the National Rural Water Association emphasizing that local decision-makers are in the best position to determine whether consolidation is appropriate.
(Rural Community Assistance Partnership)
A research report includes policy recommendations for regionalization efforts, emphasizing the need for policy flexibility and additional funding opportunities.
(US Water Alliance)
A guide focusing on managing consolidation projects with an emphasis on equity and environmental justice, including an example of a project in California.
(Environmental Policy Innovation Center)
An overview and analysis, including a visualization tool, to explain how to identify consolidation opportunities within a state.
(Water Finance Exchange)
A research fellowship report explores the nuances and diverse benefits of regionalization for water systems.
Case Studies
(American Water Works Association)
The story of a dozen entities in the Des Moines metro coming together to establish a new cooperative regional drinking water authority — Central Iowa Water Works (CIWW).
(Water Finance Exchange)
A community profile features a successful regionalization project in Presidio County, Texas, illustrating its challenges and outcomes.
State Examples
All States – Environmental Protection Agency
This guide contains information about programs, statutes, and policies implemented in the 50 states and Puerto Rico that encourage partnerships between drinking water systems.
Texas
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality provides regulatory guidance for new systems to first evaluate regionalization options available to them.
New Mexico
New Mexico’s State Senate Bill authorizes the Interstate Stream Commission (ISC) to provide loans and grants for regional water planning projects to promote water security.