Location: Reno, Nevada

Issue: A small business owner needed technical assistance to bring his small water system into compliance with regulations.

Solution: RCAC helped the business owner bring his system back into compliance.

Louis Cassinari and his family own and operate a restaurant in Reno, Nevada. The restaurant relies on a groundwater well. The well has one connection but supplies more than 25 customers and employees per day with drinking water making it a Nevada Regulated Public Water System. A Sanitary Survey demonstrated that this public water system was out of compliance with regulations. In March 2016, RCAC’s rural development specialist Kevin Baughman met with Cassinari to determine the necessary improvements.

Cassinari hired a local plumber to work on the system. A month later, Baughman and Cassinari met again and took a tour of the water system. They noted that the contracted plumbing work was incomplete so Baughman discussed next steps and requirements with Cassinari and the plumber.  Kevin also encouraged Cassinari to contact the regulators and inform them that he was getting the system into compliance as soon as possible.

During the next couple of months, the plumbers and the restaurant owner worked on procuring and installing the necessary parts. Meanwhile, Baughman met monthly with Cassinari to track progress and encourage communication between the water system owner and the regulator at the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection (NDEP).

In August 2016, the work was completed. Cassinari and Baughman met with the NDEP representative who agreed that the water system was now in compliance. Cassinari learned how to keep the system in compliance and protect his employees and customers’ health. He also learned about current rules and regulations and that Baughman is a resource to help him understand any new requirements or regulations.