Project Accelerator

Project Accelerator provides short term support and technical assistance to get local priority projects off the ground. Specific projects can vary widely, depending on each communities’ goals, and have included efforts focused on conservation, efficiency, water reuse, green stormwater infrastructure, affordability and equity. In Cleveland, Ohio, for example, Project Accelerator supported the implementation of the Water Champions program, an initiative utilizing grassroots outreach to connect communities with affordability programs. A project in New Orleans developed a road map towards implementing the City’s goal of using its streets as green stormwater infrastructure and implementing a “green streets” ordinance. And in Cheyenne, WY and Evans, CO, the program supported the development of water efficient fixture direct installation programs for income-eligible residents. If you’re not sure if the project you have in mind is a fit, you can also reach out to us directly to discuss it in more detail.

While there is no specific limit on eligible projects, the Accelerator aims to provide strategic capacity for projects that advance sustainable water management approaches, in particular those that support under-resourced communities. Take a look at the examples below to get a sense of the projects supported by the Accelerator to date.

Project Accelerator support is wide ranging, and depends on a community’s goals and needs. It can span program design and implementation, policy and legal analysis, community stakeholder outreach, communications strategy, and data analysis. Technical support provided can include, but is not necessarily limited to:

• Navigating Federal and State Funding Opportunities
• Water Policy Research & Analysis
• Draft Ordinance Support
• Communication with Elected/Appointed Decision Makers
• Preparation of Key Planning Documents
• Best Practices Research
• Program Design and Development
• Program Success Metrics
• Training and Education
• Outreach & Communication Strategy
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Access to a Broad Network of Water Sector Experts

You can also reach out to us directly, to discuss whether your project is a good match for the types of support the Accelerator provides.

The application includes seven short questions about the proposed project, along with several additional multiple choice questions to help us get to know the community and understand the logistics around the proposed idea. It is meant to take applicants no more than 1-2 hours to complete. 

WaterNow defines equity as the fair and inclusive distribution of economic, political, social, and natural resources and opportunities to improve the livelihood of individuals and the overall health of society. Water equity means universal access to secure, affordable, safe, and healthy drinking water, and wastewater and stormwater management services. Equitable water infrastructure investment should support the long-term sustainability of our waterways, water systems, and utilities.

Projects that advance these goals can be wide-ranging and can include, but are not limited to:

• Affordability initiatives
• Efforts to reduce service shutoffs
• Developing internal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs
• Partnering with community groups to engage and build trust with the local community
• Understanding and increasing the uptake of water use efficiency, green infrastructure, or other incentive programs across all of a community’s demographics
• Engaging community members, including under-represented community members, in planning and decision-making processes
• Identifying and developing outreach strategies to connect the utility with populations that may be more difficult to reach (for instance, due to unreliable Internet access or language barriers)
• Creating green jobs programs, training opportunities, or other efforts to connect water services to local workforce development
• Supporting the recruitment and retention of utility staff that reflect the diversity of the communities served
• Supporting the creation and implementation of programs, such as the direct installation of localized water infrastructure, that are designed to meet the needs of low-income and hard-to-reach residents

WaterNow’s Water Equity and Climate Resilience for Frontline Communities Toolkit module includes additional context about and examples of the ways communities around the country are working to ensure water management services are accessible at all.

There are many ideas and approaches to move more quickly towards universal and inclusive access to water management services – we are interested in hearing your ideas, goals, and challenges and partnering on approaches that meet the unique priorities in your community.

WaterNow’s evaluation team looks for the following in Accelerator applications:

• A clear focus on a sustainable, strategic, and climate-resilient water management solutions.
• Project that help ensure universal, inclusive access to water services.
• Benefits to under-resourced communities.
• Potential for replication in other communities with similar goals or challenges.
• Demonstration of a commitment to achieve the project outcomes and outputs (e.g., a funding commitment for the project in the form of a budget line item; an identification of the project as a priority in a strategy, plan, or report; or a commitment from the City Council, Board, or management).

If you’re not sure whether the project you have in mind is a fit, or if you have specific questions about the application, you can also reach out to us directly to discuss it in more detail.

We typically invite applications twice a year, once in the spring/summer, and once in the fall/winter. 

Some rounds are open to all applicants, and others include a specific focus on particular regions, geographies, or project types.  Through these types of application cycles, we hope to not only support individual communities, but to also generate synergies between communities and utilities. By focusing on communities pursuing similar goals and addressing common challenges, we hope to deepen connections across communities, foster knowledge-sharing and collaboration, and open the door to innovative, regional solutions.

The next round of applications, focused specifically on Colorado communities, will open in early January 2025. A round of applications open to communities across the country will follow in the spring of 2025.