Resources
Compendium of Successful Water Workforce Practices | WEF, 2021
A compendium of 21 case studies.
Type:
Case Study
A Guide to Flooding in Philadelphia | Philadelphia’s Citywide Flood Risk Management Task Force, 2017
This guide was designed as a tool to support property owners and residents.
Types:
Case Study
Technical
Tips for Defending Rate Increases | RCAP, 2021
Navigating the misperceptions, lack of or false information around rate increase and how to communicate accurate information to your rate base.
Type:
Technical
Items to Consider When Calculating a Water Tap Fee | RCAP, 2021
A check list of costs to consider when considering to calculate a water tap or stormwater fee. Costs to include such as labor, equipment, etc.
Type:
Technical
National Video Resource Library | RCAP, 2021
The National Video Resource Library has a variety of resources that are useful to small, rural drinking water and wastewater systems.
Type:
Technical
Resources Library | RCAP, 2021
The online RCAP Resources Library has a variety of resources that are useful to small, rural drinking water and wastewater systems.
Comparison of Continental Hydrological Models Helps Improve Water Management | Princeton University, 2021
For the US, two enormous models have been developed that capture hydrological processes—from forecasting floods to predicting groundwater levels.
Types:
Case Study
Technical
National Flood Insurance Community Rating System | FEMA, 2021
(CRS) is a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management practices that exceed minimum NFIP requirements.
EnviroAtlas | US EPA
The EnviroAtlas Interactive Map is a discover and analysis tool. To begin, you can choose to tour, learn, or explore on your own.
Type:
Technical
Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool (CREAT) Risk Assessment Application for Water Utilities | US EPA, 2021
CREAT allows users to evaluate potential impacts of climate change on their utility and to evaluate adaptation options to address them.
Type:
Technical
Navigator’s Checklist
Navigator's Checklist for Managing Local Flood and Stormwater Challenges
Type:
Technical
The Pillars of Water Equity | US Water Alliance, 2021
This resource is the framework section of US Water Alliance's water equity clearninghouse. Other sections include Search and Explanation of Terms.
Type:
Technical
National Flood Insurance Program Terminology Index | FEMA
The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) terminology index is a list of floodplain management terms, plus regulations, policies, and guidance.
Type:
Technical
Appendix D: FEMA Glossary | FEMA
A list of flood related technical terms and their definitions.
Type:
Technical
EPA Glossary of Terms | US EPA
EPA offers a glossary of terms for those in EPA regulations or other official documents.
Type:
Technical
Community Led Research Toolkit | River Network, 2021
This resources provides tools for equitable climate resilience and fostering community-led research and knowledge.
Type:
Case Study
Etna Green Infrastructure Master Plan Demonstration Project | Buchart Horn, INC., 2014
This resource is an example Master to address stormwater runoff in Etna, PA.
Type:
Case Study
Enhanced Model Stormwater Ordinance | New Jersey Future, 2021
This resource serves as a new tool to help towns update their stormwater ordinance to increase green infrastructure and reduce flood risk.
Type:
Technical
Flood Funding Finder | American Flood Coalition, 2021
This resource serves as a free, interactive digital tool that simplifies the federal grant access process.
Type:
Financial
Integrated Planning for Municipal Stormwater and Wastewater | US EPA, 2021
This resource provides approaches and additional resources for planning and integration of Municipal Stormwater and Waste Water
Type:
Technical
Power Corps PHL | Americorps
PowerCorpsPHL is a cross-sector collaborative model that engages disconnected young adults and returning citizens to the environment and new careers.
Type:
Case Study
Community Resilience Benchmarks | ANCR, 2020
This resource is intended to prompt stormwater decision makers to make sure their community is resilient against flooding.
Type:
Technical
CREAT Risk Assessment Application for Water Utilities | US EPA, 2020
This resource will help you identify grey infrastructure vulnerabilities within your system.
Type:
Technical
Solving Water Challenges in Disadvantaged Communities: A Handbook to Understanding the Issues in California and Best Practices for Engagement | Water Education Foundation, 2018
This resource is intended for anyone in, or involved with, communities throughout CA to connect with agencies that can help.
Type:
Technical
Community Adaptation Program | The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority, 2020
NORA expects the program to divert and detain stormwater runoff on over 200 properties with an average grant award between $10,000 and $25,000.
Type:
Case Study
A Multi-Benefit Approach to Water Management | Pacific Institute, 2021
This resource explores how to develop solutions to flood and stormwater challenges through Multiple Benefits.
Type:
Technical
Green Infrastructure Strategic Action Plan | City of Atlanta, 2018
This plan provides recommended actions included within: policy, funding and planning, project implementation, partnering and outreach and analysis.
Type:
Case Study
An Equitable Water Future: A National Briefing Paper | US Water Alliance, 2017
This resource includes two primary sections: Part One: Water Stress and Vulnerable Communities and Part Two: The Pillars of Water Equity.
Type:
Technical
San Francisco Bay Region Municipal Regional Stormwater NPDES Permit | California Regional Water Control Board, 2015
This resource includes cited regulatory and legal references and additional explanatory information in support of the requirements of this Permit.
Type:
Case Study
Atlas 14 Point Precipitation Frequency Estimates: KS | NOAA
This resource serves as a tool to obtain predictive information for your geographic area on precipitation depth and intensity.
Type:
Technical
Project Accelerator | WaterNow Alliance
This resource provides free assistance via hands-on support to get your water initiative off the ground.
Type:
Technical
Technical Assistance Organizations | US EPA
This resource provides a list of drinking water organizations in New England who provide technical assistance to public water systems.
Type:
Technical
Circuit Rider Program | USDA Rural Development
The program offers technical assistance for rural water systems that are experiencing operational, financial or managerial issues.
Type:
Technical
The Rural Community Assistance Partnership (RCAP)
(RCAP) is a non-profit network of six regional organizations that are working to support and advocate on behalf of rural and tribal communities.
Type:
Technical
Environmental Finance Centers | US EPA
EPA provides grant funding to these ten university-based environmental outreach programs.
CDBG: Community Development Block Grant Programs | HUD Exchange
Resources to assist HUD's community partners. The CARES Act and Disaster Recovery Program are two relevant programs that support water projects.
Type:
Financial
State Revolving Fund (SRF) Resources | Southwest Environmental Finance Center
This resource provides a repository of information for each state's State Revolving Fund programs. Click on a state to navigate to its resources.
Type:
Financial
Manage Floodplain Risk | FEMA
This resource provides information on how to meet the National Flood Insurance Program Requirements - the most affordable way to reduce flood risk.
Type:
Technical
Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants | FEMA
This resource provides funding for eligible mitigation measure that reduce disaster losses and currently has 5 grant programs.
Type:
Financial
Ask an Expert Portal | WaterNow Alliance
Once an inquiry has been submitted, TiR experts respond within 5 business days either with an answer to the inquiry or to set up a call.
Type:
Technical
Stormwater Fee Literature Review | Chagrin River Watershed Partners, 2017
This resource provides information on the formation of stormwater utilities and collection of stormwater fees in the United States.
Type:
Technical
Community Stormwater Solutions Grant | Department of Energy & Environment
The Community Stormwater Solutions Grant Program provides funding for innovative, community-oriented and –inspired projects.
Type:
Financial
Community Buy-in for Stormwater Funding: An EPA Roundtable Discussion | US EPA, 2020
This resource describes the EPA Roundtable Series Piloted in 2017 and 2018 by the EPA Office of Research and Development.
Type:
Technical
“Selling” Stormwater Authorities: Tips for Gaining Community Support | New Jersey Water Works, 2014
This resource provides 5 recommendations on how to communicate a stormwater fee to the community.
Type:
Technical
Community Engagement in the Water Sector | Cooperative Research Center for Water Sensitive Cities, 2016
This resource is an outcome-focused review of different community and stakeholder engagement approaches.
Type:
Technical
Developing a Methodology for Community Engagement with an Emphasis on Stormwater Management Preferences | University of Florida, 2013
This resource provides a comprehensive analysis of stormwater management methods and approaches, design guidelines, and potential concerns.
Type:
Technical
Stormwater Utility Toolkit | American Rivers
This resource outlines the common steps that communities can follow when developing a stormwater utility and getting the community on board.
Type:
Technical
Customer Advisory Committee | New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board, 2020
This resource describes why and how the The Sewerage and Water Board Customer Advisory Commitee was created in New Orleans, LA.
Type:
Case Study
Evaluation of the Role of Public Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement in Stormwater Funding Decisions in New England: Lessons from Communities | US EPA, 2013
This resource is intended for MS4 communities considering various options to fund their stormwater programs.
Type:
Technical
Enacting, Implementing & Funding Stormwater Programs | NACWA, 2016
This resource is a white paper that provides legal considerations for funding municipal stormwater programs.
Type:
Technical
Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Grants | FEMA
Funds available for projects that reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to property insured by the National Flood Insurance Program.
Type:
Financial
Stormwater Financing and Outreach | UMD EFC
This resource provides a series of stormwater and flood management case studies.
Type:
Case Study
National Association of Flood and Stormwater Management Agencies | NAFSMA
This resource includes two relevant committees: Stormwater Management Committee and Flood Management Committee.
Type:
Technical
Funding Stormwater Programs | US EPA, 2008
This resource is intended to assist local stormwater managers understand the alternatives available to fund their stormwater program.
Type:
Financial
Stormwater Fees: Overview of Municipal Stormwater Fee Programs | PEC, 2019
Key sections include: stormwater within your municipality, stormwater fee calculations, and development and implementation.
Type:
Financial
Guidance for Municipal Stormwater Funding | US EPA, 2006
This resource provides a series of high-level stormwater funding and financing considerations.
Type:
Financial
Federal and State Funding Programs- Stormwater and Green Infrastructure Projects | US EPA, 2017
This resource provides a list of 23 federal and state grant opportunities for stormwater and green infrastructure projects.
Type:
Financial
Asset Management Programs for Stormwater and Wastewater Systems: Overcoming Barriers to Development and Implementation | US EPA, 2017
The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical steps to be considered during AMP development and highlight real-world barriers to development.
Type:
Technical
Urban Water Funders | The Funders Network
This resource serves as a matching grant program that enhances local capacity to build equitable and sustainable communities in the United States.
Type:
Financial
Tap into Resilience Toolkit | WaterNow Alliance
This toolkit addresses financial and legal questions that arise when scaling investment in decentralized stormwater management solutions.
Type:
Financial
Potential Funding Sources, New Jersey Stormwater Utility Resource Center | New Jersey Futures, 2020
This resource describes the usage of fees to fund the planning work to create a stormwater utility and tabulates various funding opportunities.
Type:
Financial
National League of Cities Grant Opportunities | NLC
NLC provides hands on technical assistance, education, and training in addition to supporting cities to connect with funding opportunities
Type:
Financial
Stormwater Facilities Operation and Maintenance Plan | XYZ Corporation, 2018
This document provides example Inspection and Maintenance Logs and how to respond when responsible individuals change.
Type:
Technical
Operations and Maintenance Plans by infrastructure Type | The City of Portland Oregon, 2020
This resource describes various stormwater infrastructure types as well as “most popular” and “most recent” deployed in various settings.
Type:
Technical
Create a Municipal Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Plan | Land Studies, 2020
This resource is for Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) communities and details pollution prevention and best management practices.
Type:
Technical
National Stormwater Calculator | US EPA, 2017
This tool is a software application intended to help users control runoff and promote the natural movement of water.
Type:
Technical
The Building Blocks of An Effective Stormwater Management Plan | MOST, 2015
This tool is a free 1.5 hour online course designed to provide skills to develop an effective stormwater management plan and communicating the basics
Type:
Technical
Financing Stormwater Retrofits in Philadelphia and Beyond | NRDC, 2012
This resource explores how to entice private investment in stormwater retrofit projects.
Type:
Case Study
Subdivision Design and Flood Hazard Areas | APA, 2016
This resource serves to make the case for better flood management and highlights the value of an integrated community approach.
Type:
Technical
Know your Flood Risk and Take Action | FEMA, 2020
Learn how to Identify what properties are in the flood zone within your municipal boundary. Know your risk, know your role, and take action.
Type:
Technical
Toolbox for Completing an Alternatives Analysis as Part of an Integrated Planning Approach to Water Quality Compliance Research Investment | WERF, 2019
This tool is free to use, but in order to access it you will need to create a Public Plus account here: https://www.waterrf.org/user/register.
Type:
Technical
Making the Right Choice for Your Utility: Using Sustainability Criteria for Water Infrastructure Decision Making | US EPA, 2015
The purpose of this report is to provide a process for utilities to compare a range of infrastructure alternatives objectively via 4 planning elements
Type:
Technical
Green Infrastructure: Build, Learn, Partner | US EPA
This resource provides and expands upon three broad categories regarding green infrastructure: build, learn, and partner.
Type:
Technical
Managing Urban Stormwater with Green Infrastructure: Case Studies of Five Local US Governments | CNT, 2007
Chicago, IL;
Philadelphia, PA;
Seattle, WA;
Milwaukee, MI
Type:
Case Study
A Guide to Assessing Green Infrastructure Costs and Benefits for Flood Reduction | NOAA, 2015
This resource provides a 6-step framework to inform planning assessments and prompt conversations regarding green infrastructure.
Type:
Technical
Evaluating the Effectiveness of Municipal Stormwater Programs | US EPA, 2008
This resource outlines the purpose and evaluates the effectiveness of municipal stormwater programs.
Type:
Technical
One Water Roadmap | US Water Alliance, 2016
See specific sections: Watershed-scale thinking and action, Arenas for Action and Arenas and Strategies for Action to work on developing goals
Type:
Technical
Estimating Benefits and Costs of Stormwater Management, Part 1: Methods and Challenges | EFC at Sacramento State, 2019
This resource provides information on methods and approaches to analyze benefits and costs of stormwater management practices.
Type:
Technical
Urban Stormwater Management in the United States | National Research Defense Council, 2008
This resource aims to understand the connection between stormwater pollutant discharges and water quality to assess current management practices.
Type:
Technical
Technical References for Flood Risk Analysis and Mapping | US EPA
This resource provides list of 8 technical references essential to the success of a program, yet are not considered to be standards.
Type:
Technical
The Growing Threat of Urban Flooding: A National Challenge | Texas A&M University, 2018
This resource provides information on the effects of floods across the United States.
Type:
Technical
Estimating the Value of Water: A Literature Review | US EPA, 2017
This resource provides insight into ecosystem service benefits and corresponding case studies.
Type:
Case Study
Flood Risk Templates and Other Resources | FEMA, 2019
This resource provides a variety of documents used to support the implementation of Flood Risk Projects. This is a "searchable resource."
Type:
Technical
Flood Factor | First Street Foundation
This resource serves as a tool to help residents identify their home's flood risk.
Type:
Technical
City of Tigard Stormwater Master Plan | 2017
The Plan addresses Tigard’s existing flooding, water quality, erosion, and maintenance issues, and provides several corresponding recommendations.
Type:
Case Study
Where can I find Flood Maps? | USGS
This resource breaks down the purpose of various flood maps developed by FEMA, NOAA, and USGS.
Type:
Technical
State and Local Climate Change Adaptation Plans | Georgetown University,
To prepare for climate change, states and communities have begun planning processes that typically result in the development of an adaptation plan.
Type:
Technical
Summary of State Stormwater Standards (Post Construction) | US EPA, 2011
See Table 1 for Post Construction Stormwater Standards by state (pages 1-7).
Type:
Technical
Methods for Mapping Stormwater Infrastructure | AppGeo, 2018
Stormwater infrastructure mapping is often required for MS4 compliance and can provide useful data and insight to be used for other planning purposes.
Type:
Technical
Sources and Solutions: Stormwater | US EPA, 2019
In urbanized areas, precipitation is unable to adequately infiltrate into the ground, increasing runoff and overwhelming the sewer system.
Type:
Technical
Identify Your Community’s Stormwater Situation | New Jersey Future
The first thing to consider when establishing a stormwater utility is to acknowledge what you envision for your community now and in the future.
Type:
Technical
Guidelines and Standards for Flood Risk Analysis and Mapping Activities Under the Risk MAP Program | FEMA, 2020
The guidelines and standards define the implementation details of the statutory and regulatory requirements for National Flood Insurance Program map.
Type:
Technical
Impaired Waters and Stormwater | US EPA, 2019
This resource provides guidance in assessing impaired waters potentially contaminated with pollutants from stormwater sources.
Type:
Technical
Stormwater Sampling Guidance Document | US EPA, NPDES, 1992
This manual provides background for stormwater sampling, fundamentals of sampling, analytical considerations, flexibility in sampling, and safety.
Type:
Technical
Water Quality Scorecard | US EPA, 2018
See specific section: Table 1 for Water Quality Scorecard Quick Reference Guide (pages 7-9)
Type:
Technical
Technical Assistance Organizations | Drinking Water in New England | US EPA, 2017
This resource provides external EPA links to Technical Assistance organizations for the New England Region and by state: CT, ME, MA,
Type:
Technical
Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority: A Wet Weather Case Study of Incorporating Community Interests into Effective Infrastructure Decision Makings | US EPA, 2018
See specific sections: The Problem: Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), Need for a Long-Term Control Plan, and Camden’s Sewershed Alternatives Analysis
Type:
Case Study
