by Sami Stroud | Apr 11, 2026 | Financial Management, Fiscal Planning & Rate Setting, General Management & Finance, Managerial & Financial Leadership, Rates, Utility Management
What’s a Budget and Why Do I Need One? A budget is a necessary component of properly managing any water system (drinking water, wastewater, or stormwater) and involves forecasting revenues and expenses for the coming year. The budget also helps to ensure appropriate...
by Sami Stroud | Apr 7, 2026 | Green Infrastructure, Stormwater, Workforce Development
Above 1. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Water Department Gray infrastructure is not the only tool at hand to manage a community’s stormwater, and with increasing severe weather events in the wake of climate change, utilizing all assets at hand is critical to...
by Sami Stroud | Apr 7, 2026 | Communications and Outreach, Community Engagement
Image generated by ChatGPT, courtesy of Sarah Diefendorf, Capacity Collaborative. Click here to read Part 1: Building a Strong Social Media Foundation Once you’ve established a strong foundation, the next step is building deeper connections and ensuring your social...
by Sami Stroud | Apr 7, 2026 | Communications and Outreach, Community Engagement
Image generated by ChatGPT, courtesy of Sarah Diefendorf, Capacity Collaborative. Community engagement is essential for small water systems—it builds trust, improves transparency, and helps you better serve residents—especially concerning challenging issues. But with...
by Southwest EFC | Mar 27, 2026 | Managerial & Financial Leadership, Workforce Development
Figure: Older and Younger Water Operators. Image generated with AI by WSU EFC in Canva. As experienced plant managers and superintendents approach retirement, many utilities may discover that the next generation of leaders simply hasn’t been prepared. The...
