Post on 21-Jun-2020
http://efc.sog.unc.edu
@EFCatUNC
Webinar: Benchmarking Water and
Wastewater Rates in Illinois
A webinar in partnership with the Illinois chapter of the AWWA
David R. Tucker, Project Director
Environmental Finance Center
School of Government
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
http://efc.sog.unc.edu
@EFCatUNC
Contact Information:
David R. Tucker
Environmental Finance Center at the
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
School of Government
(919) 966-4199
drtucker@sog.unc.edu
http://efc.sog.unc.edu
http://efcnetwork.org
http://efc.sog.unc.edu
@EFCatUNC 3
Dedicated to enhancing the ability of
governments and other organizations
to provide environmental programs and
services in fair, effective, and
financially sustainable ways through:
• Applied Research
• Teaching and Outreach
• Program Design and Evaluation
How you pay for it matters
www.efcnetwork.org
Smart Management for Small Water Systems by the Environmental Finance Center Network under a Cooperative Agreement with the US EPA
• The EFCN provides training and technical assistance to small public water systems in all fifty states and five territories to help local water systems achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
• Workshops, trainings and direct assistance are provided on:
– Asset Management
– Fiscal Planning and Rate Setting
– Water Loss Reduction
– Energy Management
– Water System Collaboration
– Funding Coordination
– Managerial and Financial Leadership
– Workforce Development
• Sign up for direct assistance
at http://efcnetwork.org/assistance/request-assistance/
http://efc.sog.unc.edu
@EFCatUNC
Objectives
• Become familiar with features and benefits of
our Northeast Illinois Water and Wastewater
Rates Dashboard.
• Learn how to compare one water system’s
rates with those of other systems.
• Learn how to apply financial benchmarks like
operating ratio to your system.
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@EFCatUNC
Polling Question 1
What kind of water and/or sewer utility do
you represent?
• Municipality
• For-Profit
• Not-For-Profit
• Special Purpose District
• Not a Water/Sewer Utility
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Polling Question 2
What size water and/or sewer system does your utility operate (by # of people served)?
• Very Small (500 or fewer people served)
• Small (501 to 3,300 people served)
• Medium (3,301 to 10,000 people served)
• Large or Very Large (10,001+ people served)
• Not a Water/Sewer Utility
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@EFCatUNC
Polling Question 3
What utility management and finance topic
are you most concerned about?
• Affordability
• Communication
• Conservation
• Cost Recovery
• Rate Setting
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@EFCatUNC
2013 Water and Wastewater Residential Rates
Survey of Northeastern Illinois (IISG-15-007)
• Conducted by Margaret Schneemann and others at the
Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant Program for municipal utilities
in the seven-county Chicago Metropolitan area (Cook,
DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will).
• The rates survey includes residential water and/or
wastewater rate structures effective as of October 1,
2013, for 224 municipal public utilities in the state of
Illinois.
Rates in Illinois
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@EFCatUNC
2013 Water and Wastewater Residential Rates
Survey of Northeastern Illinois (IISG-15-007)
• This Rates Dashboard was constructed as part of the
Smart Management for Small Water Systems nationwide
project of the Environmental Finance Center Network
(EFCN). This dashboard was created under a
cooperative agreement with the United States
Environmental Protection Agency.
• No statewide (all counties) rate survey has been
identified at this time.
Rates in Illinois
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@EFCatUNC
Benchmarking Rates
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Everyone needs safe drinking water!
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@EFCatUNC
Source of pride?
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Comparing rates – the old way
Source: NC Triangle J Council of Government
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@EFCatUNC
What’s wrong with it?
• Poor sample selection (number, types of
systems)
• Comparing only one bill amount
• Comparing nothing besides rates
– pressure to keep rates low …
– … regardless of financial condition of utility
– ignores customers’ ability to pay
– ignores price signals and utility’s policies
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@EFCatUNC
Solution: provide more information?
185 pages
of wonderful tables,
full of data you can use!
http://efc.sog.unc.edu
@EFCatUNC
Water Rates Dashboards
• Created for AL, AZ, CO, GA, IL, MA, NC, OH, TX, VA, WI and Canada. Several more coming soon!
• Free, online, open to the public.
• Compares rates against multiple characteristics:
Utility finances; System characteristics; Customer base socioeconomic conditions; Geography; History
• Compare to similar utilities (large samples):
– All utilities; similar service population; similar water source; using same rate structure; similar customer income; same type of utility; within 50 miles distance
http://efc.sog.unc.edu
@EFCatUNC
Northeast Illinois Water and
Wastewater Rates Dashboard
http://www.efc.sog.unc.edu/reslib/item/northeast-illinois-water-and-wastewater-rates-dashboard
http://efc.sog.unc.edu
@EFCatUNC
Polling Question 4
Would you like to subscribe to the
Environmental Finance Center’s blog?
• Yes
• No
http://efc.sog.unc.edu
@EFCatUNC
Polling Question 5
If you are a small water system (10,000 or
fewer people served), are you interested in
receiving in-depth technical assistance?
• Yes
• No
• Not sure – I’d like more details
www.efcnetwork.org
Smart Management for Small Water Systems by the Environmental Finance Center Network under a Cooperative Agreement with the US EPA
• The EFCN provides training and technical assistance to small public water systems in all fifty states and five territories to help local water systems achieve and maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act.
• Workshops, trainings and direct assistance are provided on:
– Asset Management
– Fiscal Planning and Rate Setting
– Water Loss Reduction
– Energy Management
– Water System Collaboration
– Funding Coordination
– Managerial and Financial Leadership
– Workforce Development
• Sign up for direct assistance
at http://efcnetwork.org/assistance/request-assistance/
http://efc.sog.unc.edu
@EFCatUNC
Thank You
Download more tools and resources
View your state’s funding programs
matrix
Attend in-person workshops or
webinars
Sign up for direct technical assistance
http://efcnetwork.org
Sign up for blog posts for small
water systems
http://efcnetwork.org/small_
systems_blog/
Contact info.: David Tucker drtucker@sog.unc.edu (919) 966-4199
Additional resources:
Sign up for blog posts
on Environmental
Finance
http://efc.web.unc.ed
u