by Austin Thompson | Aug 15, 2020 | Access to Water Funding Sources, Financial Management
Imagine a town called “Smallville.” Smallville, as you might guess, is small. The town’s water utility needs a new water tank, and they need it now. Like most systems across the US, Smallville’s system is aging and has significant infrastructure needs. Smallville...
by Stephen Lapp | Jul 15, 2020 | Financial Management, Rates
At the Environmental Finance Center at UNC-Chapel Hill, we are always communicating that how you pay for it matters, but could how often you pay for it matter as well? We delve into the impacts of billing frequency on the utility. It may seem counter-intuitive to...
by Allison Perch | Jun 29, 2020 | Financial Management
Three months after the COVID-19 pandemic suddenly changed how Americans live and work, the financial implications for water systems are becoming apparent. Back in March, we forecasted some of these effects, but we couldn’t measure those changes at that time. As time...
by UNCEFC | May 20, 2020 | Affordability, Financial Management
Right now, water utilities are facing great uncertainty about the coming months and years. When will moratoria on water shut-offs end? When will water consumption be back to “normal”? Will utility staff get COVID-19? And the “Big One” — What will revenue loss be...
by Austin Thompson | May 6, 2020 | Board/Elected Official Engagement, Financial Management
Municipal Bonds & COVID-19: What is going on? Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the US, the municipal (“muni”) bond market was strong. Investors looking for a non-taxable rate of return were hungry for municipal bonds, driving interest rates down for borrowers...
by Christian Lutz | Apr 17, 2020 | Financial Management
Local governments have an increased public health responsibility to ensure that people have access to clean water during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, many utilities are refraining from shutting off customers’ water, despite unpaid bills. In more than a...
