Ohio Onsite Wastewater Association RCAP Assistance and Small Community Wastewater Challenges Dayton, Ohio January 5

1. Ohio Onsite Wastewater AssociationRCAP Assistance and Small Community Wastewater ChallengesDayton, Ohio January 5, 2006

3. Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP) A national, non-profit organization incorporated in 1972 that provides technical assistance to help solve water and wastewater problems Field staff in all 50 states and Puerto Rico Six regions (Great Lakes RCAP, Northeast RCAP, Southeast RCAP, Southern RCAP, Midwest RCAP, and Western RCAP)

4. Ohio RCAP One of seven states that make-up the Great Lakes RCAP region Funding for Ohio RCAP comes from EPA, USDA and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) RCAP services are provided free of charge to communities or community projects that serve a population of 10,000 or less

6. Ohio RCAP Services Program Planning Facility Development Operation and Maintenance Management and Finance Source Water/Wellhead Protection Planning

7. Program Planning (Initial concern to design phase) Assess available financing resources Review plans for appropriate content for funding agency requirements Provide information on alternative systems Conduct income surveys Conduct community wide surveys on environmental issues Assist in procuring other professional services Coordination/facilitation among funders, regulators, consultants, community Write grant/loan applications for funding of planning Prepare Environmental Reports *Services are provided at no cost unless indicated by *

8. Facility Development (from the design phase onward) Coordination/facilitation among funders, regulators, consultants, community Assist in procuring other professional services Write grant/loan applications for funding Conduct appropriate public hearing and meetings Maintain file depository for all required project records Package financing for project Administration of grants *Services are provided at no cost unless indicated by *

9. Operation and Maintenance (after construction and during operation) Assist in meeting NPDES requirements Coordination/facilitation among funders, regulators, consultants, community Developing and implementing compliance action plans Developing system policies and procedures Assist in procuring other professional servicesServices are provided at no cost unless indicated by *

10. Management and Finance (financial management of the system) Perform rate studies Assist in procuring other professional services Completing financial reports to funder Assist with bookkeeping and accounting Coordination/facilitation among funders, regulators, consultants, communityServices are provided at no cost unless indicated by *

11. Source Water/Wellhead Protection Planning * Complete Potential Contaminant Source Inventory (PCSI) Assist and train community volunteers to complete PCSI Facilitate/coordinate WP planning stake holder�s committee Assist in development/delivery of public involvement strategies Prepare public education materials Present public education information Complete the management plan Coordinate activities with OEPA, consultants, community, funders Assist in procuring other professional servicesServices are provided at no cost unless indicated by *

12. Ohio RCAP Leveraged Funds History Program Year Amount1998-1999 $42,129,8241999-2000 $17,612,9572000-2001 $18,432,6372001-2002 $31,791,1702002-2003 $28,368,2992003-2004 $43,010,103� #1 nationally 2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2003-2004

13. Small Community Wastewater Challenges RCAP is seeing: #1 Smaller and smaller communities #2 Existing unsewered communities are difficult ones #3 Grant financing is declining

14. Challenge #1 EPA is focusing on smaller communities and unincorporated areas Small number of customers to spread debt and operation/maintenance costs over $30,000 annual OMR for 100 customers equals $25 per month before debt

15. Challenge #2 Easy communities have been sewered Unsewered communities cannot regionalize because of distance Unsewered communities are located in floodplain or have difficult terrain Unsewered communities are in no-growth areas

16. Challenges #3 Grant financing declining Low interest loans increasing Financing agencies want to spread their financing over more projects serving more people

17. Sample Project Costs

18. Why Decentralized? Lower project costs Lower operation/maintenance costs Less environmental impacts Easier to operate

19. RCAP Is Leading The Charge For Decentralized Projects In Ohio RCAP organized the Decentralized Wastewater Workgroup (DWWG) DWWG includes OEPA, Ohio Dept of Health, RCAP, and USDA Main challenge was permitting

20. Village of Amesville First community identified by DWWG as good candidate for decentralized project Excellent leadership Think outside the box Realize now is better than later Tight-knit community

21. RCAP Technical Assistance Organized project team Mayor RCAP Local health department OEPA district & OEPA DEFA Ohio Department of Health Local watershed organization

22. RCAP Technical Assistance RCAP organized town meetings Village in charge OEPA, local health department, watershed organization, and RCAP participate

23. RCAP Technical Assistance RCAP assisted with Qualification Based Selection (QBS) of engineer services Excellent engineer selection committee Firms responded from Wisconsin, Vermont, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio

24. RCAP Technical Assistance RCAP coordinated acquisition of financing for planning, design, construction 99% grant for planning 50% grant for design 73% grant for construction?

25. Other RCAP Resources Ten Tips To Help Communities Hire An Engineer Ten Tips To Help Communities Plan A successful Water/Wastewater Project Financing Tools eBulletin Board Training

26. Ten Tips to Help CommunitiesHire an Engineer Define your project Establish qualified selection committee Develop unique RFQ Request references from all projects Insist that firms visit community Ask project specific questions Conduct effective interviews Interview the project manager Advertise RFQ, send to firms with experience Negotiate with short-listed firms

27. Ten Tips to Help Communities Plan a Successful Water/Wastewater Project Coordinate with Ohio EPA Designate local person to review engineering items Use resources knowledgeable of financing in Ohio Stay focused on the project originally identified Make sure costs are based on year the project will bid Don�t be afraid to question your engineering firm Keep the public involved Maintain a project schedule Be open to new ideas and alternatives Establish an OMR plan

28. Financing Tools 1. Determining EDU 2. Eligible Applicants 3. Fiscal Year Explanation 4. Funding Sources- Public 5. Funding Sources- Private 6. Financing Scenarios- Existing System 7. Financing Scenarios- New System 8. Amortization Schedule 9. Gallons Per Month And Funding Agencies 10. When Are Utility Rates Affordable 11. Project Schedule 12. Financial Tracking Spreadsheet

29. RCAP eBulletin Free email newsletter (every 3 weeks) Includes w/ww articles which focus on building capacity �How to raise your rates and stay alive� �What can you do to secure your system� �Straight talk on cross connections� �What to do when customers don�t pay� �Water loss, the silent bandit� Currently >4,000 subscribers nationwide Go to www.watertrust.org to subscribe

31. Board Training 101- Utility Management for Local Officials Sponsored by OEPA and USDA-RD TMF aspects of utilities 2005- 184 participants/76 utilities No cost, Ohio EPA contact hours Designed in response to statewide need to improve the capacity of Ohio�s smaller rural water and sewer systems Geared toward those with responsibilities for managing utilities (mayors, clerks, administrators, council members, general managers, board members, operators)

32. Board Training 101- Utility Management for Local Officials September 19, 2005 in Portsmouth, OH September 20, 2005 in Columbus, OH October 11, 2005 in Findlay, OH October 25, 2005 in Lisbon, OH November 15, 2005 in Wilmington, OH January 17, 2006 in Lore, OH (Salt Fork SP) February 15, 2006 in Amherst, OH To register contact Nadine at (419) 332-2056

33. Board Training 201- Financial Management for Local Officials March 8, 2006 in Troy, OH April 12, 2006 in Reynoldsburg, OH April 26, 2006 in Fremont, OH May 9, 2006 in Massillon, OH June 13, 2006 in Chillicothe, OH To register contact Nadine at (419) 332-2056

34. Future Board Training Courses (2006-2007) Board Training 301- Rate Setting & Asset Management for Local Officials Board Training 401- Asset Management for Local Officials

35. Questions?