Project Accelerator

Hands-on support to accelerate your sustainable water program
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WaterNow’s Project Accelerator helps communities jumpstart innovative water projects. Are you in?

The Project Accelerator is designed to increase community capacity to get innovative and community-oriented water management projects off the ground. Twice a year, WaterNow holds a competitive application cycle, inviting public drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater agencies to submit projects that would benefit from technical and program assistance. Selected projects receive up to 250 hours of pro-bono support over 6-12 months. The assistance provided ranges from program design and management to policy and legal analysis, stakeholder outreach, communications, data analysis, sustainability expertise and more!

Projects range from developing water efficiency programs, to implementing customer outreach strategies, to facilitating collaborative outdoor stormwater or water efficiency efforts. WaterNow has developed particular expertise around designing, financing, and implementing onsite and decentralized water solutions of various kinds. These strategies – which include water conservation, reuse, green stormwater infrastructure, and other consumer-focused initiatives – address water management throughout an entire community, supplementing and extending the life of more conventional centralized water systems. Critically, these approaches can often generate additional benefits, such as job creation, neighborhood greening, cost reduction, local economic development, and enhancements to public health.

Accelerator projects vary widely, depending on each community’s priorities, but they share common goals of implementing innovative solutions, particularly those that build trust with local communities and provide professional development and leadership opportunities for utility staff. We are here to help you move past roadblocks on the path to implementation.

WaterNow Provides:

 

Program design and implementation

Best practices research, program design consultation, program success metrics, training and education, and other support

Water policy and legal analysis 

Policy research to support local decision making, preparation of key planning documents, draft ordinances, and other analyses

Technical assistance navigating state and federal funding opportunities

Review of program eligibilities, application procedures and strategies, drafting and other application support

 

 

Community and stakeholder outreach

Stakeholder engagement, outreach and communications strategy and materials, communication with elected/appointed decision makers, presentation preparation, and other support

Data analysis

Spatial analyses, water savings calculations, and other forms of technical assistance

Broad distributed infrastructure expertise

Participation in the program includes access to WaterNow’s large partner network of water sector experts

 

Applications for our national spring application cycle are currently open and will be accepted through April 25, 2025.

If you have any questions about the Project Accelerator program or application process, please contact Amy Weinfurter ([email protected]) or Victoria Arling ([email protected]).

You can explore past and current Project Accelerator projects below, and learn more about how communities are implementing water solutions across the country in our interactive StoryMap.

 

Frequently Asked Questions:

 

Who is eligible to apply?

The Accelerator is open to utilities, cities, towns, special districts, and other public entities with responsibility for drinking water, wastewater, and/or stormwater services. These applicants are welcome to propose projects that include other implementation and project partners, such as local community organizations, non-profit organizations, or other government agencies. We prioritize applications that provide opportunities for the project lead at the utility partner to build and demonstrate leadership skills such as inter- and intra-organizational partnership building, project management skills, and familiarity with funding and financing processes, to prepare them for continued success as water leaders.

 

 

What kinds of projects are eligible for the Accelerator?

Project Accelerator provides short term support and technical assistance to get local priority projects off the ground. These projects help support universal access to secure, affordable, safe, and healthy drinking water, wastewater and stormwater management services.

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 conservation, reuse, green stormwater infrastructure, 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.

Specific projects can vary widely, depending on each communities’ goals. The featured projects section below provides of the projects supported by Project Accelerator to date, which range from the development of water efficient fixture direct installation programs for income-eligible residents in Evans, CO, to the creation of a road map for using streets as green stormwater infrastructure in New Orleans.

 

What types of support does Project Accelerator provide?

Project Accelerator provides 250 hours of WaterNow staff time to support a wide range of projects, depending 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
  • Building Community Trust
  • Fostering Leadership and Professional Development for Utility Staff
  • 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.

 

Is Project Accelerator a grant?

No, Project Accelerator does not provide direct funding to applicants. Instead, it offers up to 250 hours of pro bono WaterNow staff time over a 6–12 month period, to implement community priorities.

How long is the application?

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.

 

What do you mean by projects that serve as practical leadership and professional development opportunities for utility staff?

WaterNow has found that Accelerator projects often provide opportunities for utility staff to develop and demonstrate various management and leadership skills. Projects can provide practical skills development that include, but are not limited to:

  • Pitching project plans
  • Pitching to management
  • Communicating with political leadership
  • Communicating with community members
  • Building partnerships with community members and groups
  • Establishing performance metrics
  • Building teams
  • Growing collaborations with outside entities
  • Strengthening capacity for strategy and visioning
  • Additional goals identified by project applicants
What do you mean by projects that foster trust and collaboration between water utilities and their communities?

Project Accelerator can provide support for community organizations and water utilities seeking to build trusting, authentic and constructive relationships. Projects that advance these goals can be wide-ranging and can include, but are not limited to:

 

  • Prioritizing transparency and accountability
  • Restoring community confidence
  • Deepening community understanding of utility roles and responsibilities
  • Highlighting shared goals to leverage mutual benefits
  • Including the community as part of utility decision-making
  • Adopting a community-facing orientation
  • Cultivating long-term community relationships with intention
  • Building from personal to more formalized relationships

WaterNow and River Network’s Building Blocks of Trust initiative includes additional context about and examples of the ways utilities and communities around the country are partnering to build trust-based relationships. Water system providers are encouraged to consider applying in partnership with a local community organization on proposed trust-building projects.

What do you mean by community-driven projects?

Community-driven projects reflect local priorities, and support the fair distribution of economic, political, social, and natural resources and opportunities to improve the livelihood of individuals and the overall health of society.

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

  • Affordability initiatives
  • Efforts to reduce service shutoffs
  • Partnering with community groups to engage and build trust with the local community (see also the FAQ that addresses the question “What do you mean by projects that foster trust and collaboration between water utilities and their communities?”)
  • 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, rural residency, or language barriers)
  • Creating jobs programs, training opportunities, or other efforts to connect water services to local workforce development programs
  • Supporting the recruitment and retention of utility staff
  • 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

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.

How can I strengthen my application?

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

  • A clear focus on a sustainable, strategic, and innovative management solutions
  • Projects 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)

The rubric for project evaluation is available here. 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.

When are applications open?

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 Accelerator participants. By working with cohorts of partners 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, collaborative solutions.

 

Featured Projects

 

Long Beach Utilities Department, CA

Supporting Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional Customers in Removing Non-Functional Turf

Fort Lupton, CO

Integrating Waterwise Principles into Land Use Planning

Alamosa, CO

Creating a Strategic Roadmap for Water Conservation and Efficiency Programs

Commerce City and South Adams County Water & Sanitation District, CO

Aligning Water Management and Non-Functional Turf Replacement: A Collaborative Framework

Fountain, CO

CII Turf Conversion Incentive Program Development

Colorado Springs Utilities, CO

Landscape Industry Education Plan for Water Conservation

Erie, CO

Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance Development

Sharpsburg, PA

Supporting the Development of a Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plan

Longmont, CO

Impact Analysis and Goal Development of a Non-Essential Turf Conversion Program

Thornton, CO

Commercial Water Use Benchmark Development

Eagle River Coalition & Eagle County Conservation District, CO

Beyond Lawn Water Efficient Landscape Conversion Program

Broomfield, CO

Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance Development and Community Outreach

Watersheds of South Pittsburgh, PA

Cooperative Implementation of the Integrated Watershed Management Plan for Saw Mill Run

Wake County, NC

Equitable Outreach Strategy for Well & Septic Financial Assistance Pilot Program

Charlottesville, VA

Toilet Rebate Program Review and Revamp

Wellington, CO

Wellington Water Efficiency Communications

Research Initiative: Community Gardens and Water Management

The Potential for Urban Agriculture and Community Gardening as a Water Resource Management Tool in the Intermountain West

Ruedi Water and Power Authority (RWAPA), CO

Unified Baseline Watering Standards for the Roaring Fork Watershed

Steamboat Springs, CO

Steamboat Springs Water Resiliency and Infrastructure Funding Strategy

Henderson, NV

Non-Residential Water Utility Scorecard

Walnut Valley Water District

Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) & Mandarin Language Water Use Efficiency Program Enhancements

Moab, UT

Water Wise Landscaping Code for New Development

Evans, CO

Direct Install Program for Income-Qualified Residents and Indoor Water Efficiency Audits

Santa Rosa, CA

Spanish Language Water Use Efficiency Program Enhancements

Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District, UT

Exploring Options to Improve Water Efficiency Standards

Summit County & High Country Conservation Center, CO

Development of a Regional Outdoor Water Efficiency Program

Cleveland, OH

Support for Cleveland’s Water Champions Program

City of Greeley, CO

Enhancing Water Efficiency Portfolio through Performance Analysis

Desert Water Agency, CA

WaterSMART Grant Application Assistance

Town of Severance, CO

Incorporating Water Efficiency into the Comprehensive Plan

Centennial, CO

Incorporating Sustainable Water Practices into Centennial’s Municipal Code

Golden, CO

Graywater Ordinance and Program Development

City Of New Orleans, LA

Assessing Green Street for New Orleans

Madison Water Utility, WI

Increasing the Effectiveness of Madison’s Water Conservation and Sustainability Plan with Strategic Polling and Analysis

Moulton Niguel Water District

Nursery Stock Incentive and Education Program

Thornton, CO

Incentivizing Water Efficient Home Construction

Ontario & San Clemente, CA

HOA Water Efficient Landscape Outreach and Education Program Development

Cheyenne, WY

Income-Qualified Direct Install Program Development and Support