The Gray Area in Funding Affordability Programs

by Erin Riggs | Sep 6, 2017 | Access to Wastewater Funding Sources, Access to Water Funding Sources, Affordability, Financial Management

Why Water or Wastewater Utilities in Many States May Be Apprehensive to Fund Affordability Programs with Rate Revenue One of the reports recently completed at the Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel provides an analysis of the...

Won’t you pay my Bill? | Pathways to Getting Some Customers to Help Pay for the Bills of Others

by Stacey Berahzer | Aug 8, 2017 | Affordability, Financial Management, Rates

“Won’t you pay my bill?” is a question that the water utility asks of the customers who do not pay their water, wastewater, and even stormwater bills. But low-income customers are, essentially, asking the same question: will you—higher-income customers—help pay the...

Using Utility-Level Data to Study the Affordability of Water Rates

by Daniel Irvin | Jun 19, 2017 | Affordability, Financial Management, Rates

The affordability of water and wastewater rates is an issue attracting more attention than ever. In particular, “A Burgeoning Crisis? A Nationwide Assessment of the Geography of Water Affordability in United States”—a recent paper from Michigan State University— has...

Seven Strategies for Identifying Who Is Willing and Able to Pay for Household Water Services

by UNCEFC | Feb 16, 2017 | Affordability, Financial Management, Rates

Accurately identifying vulnerable groups and their commitment to pay, or incapacity to pay, is a timeless challenge in household water services. When consumers pay for household water service delivery, they are paying for the water, its delivery to their home, the...

Four Factors that Allow One Utility to Provide Financial Assistance to People Who Don’t Even Have a Water Account

by Stacey Berahzer | Sep 15, 2016 | Affordability

When setting rates, most water and wastewater utilities are concerned (at least to some extent) about whether their customers can afford the resulting bills. Many utilities are also wondering how they can assist the poorest segments of their customer base with the...

Three States With Laws Allowing Water Utility Customer Assistance Programs

by UNCEFC | Aug 12, 2016 | Affordability

Unlike your favorite TV show, college football, or even your cell phone, water is a truly vital part of life. However, many Americans may still not have affordable access to this necessity. The question of whether or not water is “affordable” in some communities is an...