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When it comes to small utility management, partnerships are essential to success. From regional collaboration to community development groups, funding agencies, and media outlets, these relationships can help strengthen and build resilience in your system. The good news is that most utilities are already partnering in many informal ways, and it’s easy to build on those relationships to ensure redundancy and shared advocacy.
This post will explain how partnerships can expand your capacity, where you might look to build them, and how they add practical value to your community.
Don’t Work Alone
One of the main goals for building a network of partners is to make sure you are not alone if something goes wrong or if you need technical, managerial, or financial support.
In small and rural areas, it is critical to have backup identified before you ever need it. Identifying at least one nearby system that can provide personnel, equipment, and support during emergencies can help reduce risk and prevent small issues from becoming big problems. Systems that are working together are better able to handle both everyday challenges and major disruptions. As part of your work to build or strengthen the relationship with nearby systems, be sure to identify realistic ways that you can easily stay connected.
Another reason to build partnerships is to make the work more manageable. Whether you’re focused on replacing aging infrastructure, improving workforce retention, or meeting new compliance standards, partners can help you meet multiple competing goals. The more limited your capacity, the more critical it is to maintain a broad network of partners who can contribute real skills and value to your system.
Build a Network for Long-term Success
Building partnerships isn’t just about getting help when something goes wrong, it’s about putting yourself in a position where your system is more connected and better supported over time. Part of that means broadening how you think about partners. A strong network includes people and organizations that can influence your system in different ways.
Technical assistance providers are often one of the most valuable starting points. They’ve seen how other systems handle similar challenges and can connect you to resources, training, and practical solutions. More importantly, they can help you think through problems before they become bigger issues. Visit efcnnetwork.org/get-help to learn how the Environmental Finance Center Network can assist your community and fill out our technical assistance request form.
Funders are another key relationship. When you already have a connection with the people or programs that support infrastructure projects, it becomes much easier to communicate your needs and position your system for future opportunities. These relationships don’t need to start with an application and shouldn’t be initiated right before an application deadline. Reach out and introduce yourself to the contacts at funding agencies or organizations and learn about their requirements and opportunities.
Local media and communication channels also play a role. When your system is visible and understood in the community, you’re more likely to have support when it comes time to address challenges, raise rates, or pursue improvements. Having a relationship in place makes it easier to share your story clearly and proactively, rather than reacting under pressure. Think creatively about these partners, especially because in many small and rural areas, informal channels of communication are particularly important.
Community and economic development groups are often overlooked, but they are directly connected to your system’s long-term success. Growth, housing, and local investment all depend on reliable infrastructure. When you’re part of those conversations, your system is better positioned to plan ahead.
And then there are your local, state, and federal partners. These relationships can help you navigate regulations, identify resources, and better understand what’s coming. When communication is already established, those interactions tend to be more productive.
None of these relationships need to be complicated. In most cases, they start by introducing yourself, staying in touch, and finding small, practical ways to connect over time. The goal isn’t to build a perfect network overnight. It’s to gradually create a group of people you can rely on, learn from, and work with as your system moves forward.