by Sami Stroud | Jul 16, 2025 | General Management & Finance, Managerial & Financial Leadership, Utility Management
This podcast features Goleta Water District in Santa Barbara County, California. The district operates to provide water to over 87,000 people living in the greater Goleta Valley with an infrastructure of more than 270 miles of pipeline. GFOA worked with the Goleta...
by Sami Stroud | Jul 15, 2025 | General Management & Finance, Resilience, Utility Management, Workforce Development
Image Source: Shutterstock The water sector keeps communities safe, economies running, and ecosystems healthy, but it’s been facing a quiet crisis (and I’m not referring to the aging pipes). Across the country, water utilities are under strain. One in three water...
by Sami Stroud | Jul 8, 2025 | Financial Management, Fiscal Planning & Rate Setting, General Management & Finance, Risk and Resiliency to Climate Hazards, Small Water Systems
Risk management is essential for small water systems to ensure the continued delivery of safe and reliable water to their communities. These systems often operate with limited resources, making them especially vulnerable to unexpected events such as equipment...
by Southwest EFC | Jun 9, 2025 | Access to Wastewater Funding Sources, Access to Water Funding Sources, Access to Water/ Wastewater Funding Sources, Financial Management, Funding Coordination, General Management & Finance, Infrastructure Renewal/ Replacement, Managerial & Financial Leadership, Uncategorized, Wastewater
Funding for water and wastewater projects can be confusing to navigate, and it is generally provided by a variety of agencies in a state. Some states have made an effort to consolidate funding entities and partner agencies to provide a singular point of contact for...
by Sami Stroud | May 13, 2025 | Capital Improvement Planning, Communications and Outreach, General Management & Finance, Managerial & Financial Leadership, Small Water Systems
Kaira Fuentes (Syracuse EFC) doing a Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats (SWOT) diagram. Image provided by The Capacity Collaborative. A strategic plan can help any operation get on track to achieve its goals. As a leader of a water system, you will sleep...
by Sami Stroud | Apr 23, 2025 | Financial Management, General Management & Finance, Infrastructure Renewal/ Replacement, Small Water Systems
I. The Infrastructure Needs and Challenges for Small Water Systems Small water systems in the U.S. face significant infrastructure challenges, including aging pipelines, outdated treatment facilities, and increasing regulatory requirements. According to the 2021...
