by Austin Thompson | Sep 16, 2020 | Financial Management, Risk and Resiliency to Climate Hazards
These are unprecedented times. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, social norms have changed and unemployment has risen sharply across the nation. As states have pushed residents to stay home, water usage patterns have altered for both commercial and residential...
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 Brett Schwartz | Jul 28, 2020 | Additional Support Organizations, Partnerships
Regional development organizations (RDOs) serve communities of all sizes across the country in a variety of ways to enhance planning, economic development, infrastructure, social services, and much more. These public-based entities play an invaluable role in fostering...
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...