AWWA ACE91018

The author presents four general areas of difficulty many small systems share: communications, resources, affordable, available expertise and consumer credibility. The state of Illinois has tried to tackle the first problem with an effort to communicate to small system custodians, to be sure that they understand regulations; the state also offers feedback to legislators and regulators. The author believes that the consumer should be more active in this process, and outlines what an effective communication program should tell the consumers about proposed regulations in terms of health effects and cost. Regarding financial resources, the EPA costs of compliance are based on large systems, which makes the figures artificially low for small systems. The state of Illinois has streamlined acceptance of federal regulations to cut costs, instituted annual fees to pay for state sampling, and imposed fees for private contractor water main installation or expansion. To serve small systems, the state has established financing agencies, which can provide loans, venture funds, industrial revenue bonds, and assistance for employee buyouts. To help small systems with affordable expertise, the state hired retired water supply operators to provide technical assistance; voluntary compliance increased while the program was in place, but the funds were shifted to enforcement efforts later.