Appalachian Community Technical Assistance and Training Program
The Appalachian Community Technical Assistance and Training (ACTAT) program provides free training and technical assistance to small Appalachian communities to proactively improve drinking water or wastewater services. The program is a partnership among West Virginia University, the University of Kentucky, the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, and Virginia Tech, and is funded by the Rural Utilities Service, a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development Program. The program uses the USDA and EPA's Rural and Small Systems Guidebook to Sustainable System Management and the companion Workshop in a Box: Sustainable Management of Rural and Small Systems Workshop (WIB) as a basis to provide outreach, technical assistance, and training activities to small communities in Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Virginia. The goal of the ACTAT program is to help under-resourced, small communities become sustainable and eligible to receive financial resources to address their vulnerable water infrastructure, a first step towards community economic growth.
WHAT WE PROVIDE
ACTAT support is offered in three phases:
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Phase 1 – Multi-utility workshops help communities share lessons learned.
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Phase 2 – Individual utility trainings build a strategic plan for an individual utility.
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Phase 3 – Technical assistance targets items in a utilities strategic plan.
Registration and training fees are waived for all ACTAT training and technical assistance. Workshops focus on providing the drinking water and wastewater utilities resources, tools, and assistance to support their efforts to provide safe and dependable water service while strengthening operations. Communities participating in the program have the opportunity to focus their managerial priorities in the most critically needed areas to benefit their system performance. The team of trainers and technical assistance providers offer follow-up activities and technical assistance services to workshop participants to develop and implement system improvement plans.
ACTAT has developed training modules addressing technical priorities in Kentucky including:
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Workshop in a Box: Sustainable Management of Rural and Small Systems – supporting utilities in assessing ten key management areas and developing an action plan
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AWWA Water Auditing: The Free Water Audit – supporting utilities conducting a water audit using the AWWA M36 protocol and software
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Introduction to Water Distribution System Modeling – supporting utilities building a computer model of their water distribution system
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Basic Math for Operators – supporting operators with certification exam prep
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Hydraulics for Water Distribution System Operators – supporting operators with certification exam prep
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Hydraulics for Wastewater Collection Operators – supporting operators with certification exam prep
Additionally, modules can be customized for a specific utility to provide one-on-one utility focused assistance. Potential activities could involve, but are not limited to, helping the utility develop and calibrate a computer model of their water system or assistance in conducting a water audit using the AWWA M36 protocol and software.
Certified operators may receive up to 6 hours of continuing education credits for ACTAT training as approved by the Kentucky Board of Certification of Water and Wastewater System Operators. The Kentucky Public Service Commission has historically approved the training workshops and modules for water commissioners to receive continuing education credit.
WHERE WE WORK
The ACTAT program focuses on the Appalachian Region, targeting communities with a population of 2,500 or fewer where residents are living at less than 80 percent of the state non-metropolitan median household income; counties that are designated as ‘distressed’; and/or water utilities needing technical, financial, or managerial capacity improvements. Workshops have been conducted in-person and virtually at various locations throughout Kentucky.
Who We Train
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Small water system operators and managers
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Local decision-makers (e.g., mayors, commissioners and board members)
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Service personnel
Type of Training
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Multi-utility Workshops
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Individual Utility Training
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Technical Assistance
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Remote Training
*All training is free of charge*
ACTAT CONTACTS
Email for more information at: ACTAT.KY@uky.edu