WaterNow Alliance is excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for a national round of Project Accelerator. Offering 250 hours of pro-bono assistance to support innovative water management projects, the Accelerator is open to cities, towns, or special districts responsible for drinking water, wastewater, and/or stormwater services. These applicants are welcome to propose projects in collaboration with local community organizations, non-profit organizations, or other government agencies.
Innovative Distributed Infrastructure Strategies
The Accelerator focuses on jumpstarting approaches that are part of a “distributed” model of water infrastructure, that address water management throughout an entire community, supplementing and extending the life of more conventional centralized water systems.
These strategies – which include water efficiency, reuse, green stormwater infrastructure, lead service line replacement, customer outreach and affordability programs, and other consumer-focused initiatives – help secure water supplies, protect local environments, and keep water costs affordable. They can also create additional benefits, such as job creation, neighborhood greening, local economic development, and public health enhancements.
Past projects have established green stormwater infrastructure initiatives, and developed indoor or outdoor water efficiency incentive programs. Participating communities have created outreach and engagement strategies to increase participation in well and septic repair programs or water use efficiency programs. Each project is unique, but all share a goal of advancing innovative, community-driven water management solutions.
Comprehensive Support to Launch Your Project
Depending on your organization’s goals, the Accelerator can provide a range of technical support and capacity, including:
- Program design and management,
- Policy and legal analysis,
- Community stakeholder outreach,
- Communications strategy,
- Data and spatial analysis,
- Sustainability expertise, and more.
The Accelerator also supports, and will give particular consideration to, applications focused on fostering trust and collaboration between water providers and the communities they serve.
Additionally, these projects offer practical leadership and professional development opportunities for utility staff. We encourage applicants to consider ways for themselves and their team to gain experience developing key skills – ranging from project development, to communicating with leadership and community members, to strengthening strategic planning – as part of their proposed projects.
Apply Today!
To see additional examples of past projects, view responses to frequently asked questions, learn more about the project selection criteria, or to apply, visit WaterNow’s website. Applications will close on Friday, May 15, 2026.
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