NRWA urges end to shutdown amid Circuit Rider funding stop
The National Rural Water Association (NRWA), which supports water and wastewater professionals that serve small and rural communities in the United States, said without additional funding, it will receive a “stop work order” on Nov. 1 for its water Circuit Rider program.
“The National Rural Water Association (NRWA) commends USDA for committing to extending the heavily relied-upon Circuit Rider contract, which was set to expire on November 1, 2025. However, without additional funding, NRWA will receive a “stop work order” on November 1, jeopardizing water infrastructure and operations across rural America,” the NRWA said in a press release.
In 1980, the USDA Farmers Home Administration, in collaboration with NRWA, established the Rural Water Circuit Rider Program. This program provides a nationwide team of drinking water professionals, the Circuit Riders, who provide on-site, hands-on training and technical assistance to water utility managers, boards and operations specialists, daily 24 hours a day, 365 days a year at no cost to local communities. The training is designed so participants take ownership in learning how to resolve their current and future problems. The NRWA Circuit Rider Program serves all 50 States and Puerto Rico with a cadre of 132 water system Circuit Riders.
The NRWA said rural water systems and their staff are concerned because United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development infrastructure loans and grants have been frozen, and communication with state and local servicing offices has stopped.
This direct assistance includes helping communities with vacant operator positions in order to maintain public health. Personal and expert professional assistance is at the heart of the Circuit Rider program. On-site help is delivered when and where a rural community needs it. While operational and infrastructure repair and support are a key piece of the Circuit Rider Program, Circuit Riders also routinely response to emergencies and natural disasters of all scales. The stop work order leaves rural systems in every state vulnerable and without critical support in the event of natural and man-made emergencies such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, wildfires, ice storms, and contamination crises. All of these emergencies directly impact public health.
Water systems in rural areas are uniquely vulnerable during shutdowns, NWRA added. Delays in infrastructure funding increase costs and directly affect affordability.
“Rural Development project awards are delayed and leave small and rural system projects susceptible to supply chain issues, inflation, and additional costs. When these channels are frozen, communities face delays in critical projects, disruptions in service, and uncertainty about future funding. This is not just a bureaucratic inconvenience — it’s a direct threat to public health and local economies.”
NRWA said it calls on Congress and the Administration to prioritize reopening the government.
“Rural communities deserve stability, support, and a functioning system that honors their contributions and meets their needs.”
Source: NRWA
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