Kim M. Steil and Jeffery A. Ballweber. 2003. The Engaged University: A Model to Promote Safe Water and Public Health in the Southeastern United States' Small Rural Water Systems

With all their differences, many small public water systems share significant problems in attaining and/or maintaining compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) and corresponding state regulations. Compliance problems are typically associated with either physical, organizational, or institutional infrastructure. Congress addressed this problem by amending the SDWA in 1996 to authorize the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) to issue grants to institutions of higher learning to establish and operate small public water system technology assistance centers (TACs). This article explores how one of the eight TACs, the Southeastern Regional Small Public Water Systems Technology Assistance Center (SE-TAC), exemplifies the "engaged university" concept. Mississippi State University's GeoResources Institute (GRI) administers SE-TAC. First the article lays a theoretical foundation for the engaged university concept grounded in social capital theory. Then, the article turns toward analyzing the GRI's role in creating partnerships and collaborative relationships between land-grant universities, the USEPA, state primacy agencies, and technical assistance provider organizations in the Southeastern United States. Finally, the article concludes with a look at trust relations and network benefits to small public water systems.