12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Mountain Time or 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Pacific Time
Webinar Wednesday! Funding and Collaboration to Deliver Capital Improvement Plans for Small Communities - Online
In many small communities, the scale of water infrastructure needs often outpaces available resources, and without clear prioritization, utility managers struggle to make meaningful progress in addressing aging systems and emerging challenges. Capital Improvement Plans (CIPs) are essential for managing aging water infrastructure, but planning alone doesn't build resilience - execution does. This presentation explores how pairing project prioritization with thoughtful funding strategies transforms a CIP from a static document into a united, long-term mission.
Using the City of Rocky Ford (the melon capital of Colorado!) as a case study, we'll demonstrate how a comprehensive assessment of water infrastructure-including tanks, wells, pump stations, and treatment facilities-was paired with risk modeling, remaining useful life estimates, and cost forecasting to prioritize rehabilitation projects. The plan didn't stop at prioritization: financial modeling, rate review, and a custom funding strategy, including cash flow analysis and loan/grant planning, ensured that projects were feasible-not just ideal. We'll discuss how early and ongoing engagement with the finance director, public works staff, and city council, built trust and ownership of the plan, and how keeping the analysis at a high level helped the plan's value stretch further, turning a long list of needs into a unified roadmap for a more reliable and resilient utility. This session offers practical insights for small and rural communities looking to bridge the gap between wishful planning and real implementation.
Instructor: Jacob Strombeck and Travis McStraw, AE2S
CEUs: 0.1 Drinking Water/Wastewater
Cost: Free to IRWA Members / $40 Non-Members
Location: Online using Zoom
Online using Zoom - You will be sent the Zoom Meeting invitation in the confirmation email.
(phone: (208) 343-7001)
