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WaterNow Project Accelerator: Fall 2026 Application for Colorado Communities

WaterNow's Project Accelerator program offers technical and program assistance to advance innovative water management projects. 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.

Selected projects receive approximately 250 hours of pro-bono assistance, typically over a 6-12 month period. Accelerator projects are intended to be collaborations, so applicants are advised to be clear about their ability to commit time to the proposed initiative.

Please fill out the sections below to apply. Feel free to reach out to Victoria Arling at va@waternow.org with questions.

This round is specifically for Colorado communities and applications will be accepted through Friday, November 13, 2026.

For more information about the program, including eligibility, examples of past projects, and other FAQ, please visit our website.
Organization Information

Please help us better understand your organization by responding to the questions below.
1.Who is the primary contact for this application?

Please include their name, organization, role / title, city and state.
2.Approximately how many customers/ratepayers does your water utility serve?
3.Water utility type (select all that apply):
4.To be eligible for selection for the Accelerator, at least one person within your agency must be a WaterNow member.

If your project is selected, an eligible official or executive management representative—such as a City Council member, Mayor, Commissioner, City Manager, General Manager, or Public Works/Utility Director—would need to become a member. (Associate membership is available for other city and utility staff, but will not fill this program participation requirement.)

Membership is free and it's easy to join!

Are you or a representative of your city/water agency a member of the WaterNow Alliance?
5.How did you hear about WaterNow's Project Accelerator? (Select all that apply.)
Project Information

This section helps us understand the goals of the project, and what type of inputs from the Accelerator would contribute to its success.
6.What is your proposed project title (e.g. Direct Install Program for Income Qualified Residents, Development of a Graywater Ordinance, Conservation Program Outreach Plan, etc.)?
7.What is the primary goal and/or driver of this project (e.g., addressing local water shortages, limiting stormwater pollution, meeting goals outlined in a water conservation plan, strengthening public trust, etc.)?

Suggested length: less than ~250 words.
8.Please briefly describe your proposed project and indicate how the project would benefit from an infusion of approximately 6-12 months of outside program and technical support from WaterNow Alliance.

Suggested length: ~ 250-500 words.
9.Does this project reflect and/or include objectives focused on engaging community members and/or strengthening public trust in your water system in its design, implementation, and/or review?

If so, please describe this element of the project in greater detail.

For more detailed descriptions and definitions of community-driven projects, please see the FAQ section of WaterNow's Project Accelerator web page.

Suggested length: less than ~250 words.
10.What are the specific outputs or deliverables you are seeking from working with WaterNow? Please be as specific as possible.

Note: WaterNow uses the term “outputs” to refer to deliverables within the control of the project participants, such as assistance navigating new federal funding opportunities, drafting ordinance language, creating an outreach and communication plan, hosting stakeholder meetings, creating best management practices or policy recommendations, etc.

Suggested length: less than ~250 words
11.What outcomes do you hope to achieve by working with WaterNow through the Project Accelerator program? Please be as specific as possible.

Note: WaterNow uses the term “outcomes” to refer to results that are aspirational but are outside of the direct control of the project participants, e.g., X number of applications participate in a specific program, X gallons of water are saved, engagement of X number of customers, etc.

Suggested length: less than ~250 words
12.What commitments to your proposed project, if any, has your community made to date (e.g., city council has approved $XX in spending to implement a program; staff has applied for and/or received a grant to fund this work; there is an internal deadline to prepare a plan by X date, etc.)?
13.Which of the following Project Accelerator resources do you believe would best support your proposed project? (Select up to three.)
14.Do you believe that approximately 250 hours of program and technical assistance, over a period of approximately 6-12 months, will have a significant impact on moving your project forward?
15.If selected this project would kick off in Spring 2027. Does this timeline work with your project schedule?
16.Launching a Project Accelerator project includes collaboratively developing a Project Brief that outlines the project roadmap, deliverables, and responsibilities. Both WaterNow and the participating organization also co-create and sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Does your organization have capacity to participate in the creation of a Project Brief and review and sign an MOU in a timely manner?
17.If there are any additional supporting documents that you would like to share, please upload them here, or email them to Victoria Arling at va@waternow.org.
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Accelerator Projects as Practical Leadership Opportunities

In addition to implementing projects, the Accelerator aims to create opportunities to support emerging leaders advancing innovative and sustainable solutions for their communities. In running this initiative for the last seven years, WaterNow has found that Accelerator Projects often provide key opportunities for mid-level utility staff to develop and demonstrate various management and leadership skills. The questions in this section are intended to provide a better sense of the extent to which your proposed project could provide that type of practical skills development opportunity to one or more up and coming leaders within your utility.
18.Who will be the primary point(s) of contact and lead(s) in implementing this project? Please share their name(s) and title(s).
19.What types of skills would the project lead(s) and/or emerging leaders on your team expect to build as part of the proposed project? Please check all that apply.
20.Please briefly describe how participation in the Accelerator would support the professional development of emerging leaders within your organization (for instance, the project lead or others directly involved in the project).

Suggested length: less than ~250 words.
21.Do you anticipate partnering with a community-based organization to implement this project? Community-utility partnerships are welcome, but not required.