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Current Blog Posts
Ongoing Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic Conditions on North Carolina’s Water and Wastewater Utilities
Over the past 6 months, the EFC has continued to investigate how utilities across NC are faring as the ongoing pandemic continues to create a variety of challenges related to revenue and operations.
Setting Rates During COVID-19: Florida Rate Survey Shows Utilities are Looking for Answers in the Experience of Others
Guest Post By Nicholas Smith of Raftelis A new fiscal year typically means new water and wastewater rates for utilities in Florida. Florida utilities have long relied upon small and predictable annual rate increases to…
Using the Revenueshed Model to Investigate Watershed Funding
What is a revenueshed? A revenueshed is the geographic area within which revenue is generated for a defined purpose. It’s a play on words of watershed, an area that drains all water to a common…
Regionalization Among Local Governments – A Spotlight on Beach Nourishment in North Carolina
Every year, North Carolina coasts are a destination for tens of thousands of tourists and locals. But how often do visitors to NC’s beaches think about the strategies to keep beaches pristine? Every year, coastal…
Disconnections – Where’s the data?
On October 5th, two House Democrats, Harley Rouda and Rashida Tlaib, submitted this letter to ask the director of the CDC to give a nation-wide moratorium on water disconnections due to non-payment through the state…
Stormwater Utility Fees in North Carolina: Fiscal Year 2020
The Environmental Finance Center has completed the 2020 North Carolina Stormwater Fee Survey. The survey includes 93 stormwater fee structures effective July 1, 2019. There are 6 utilities in this year’s survey that were not in last year’s survey. Additionally, there…
A Closer Look at MS4 Audit Trends in North Carolina
Written by: Ryan Vulpis In the state of North Carolina, many stormwater programs are required by the US EPA to maintain a Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit. This permit is designed to ensure…
Yadkin Valley Sewer Authority: A Case Study of the Impact of COVID-19 on a North Carolina Wastewater Utility
The abrupt arrival of COVID-19 in the United States financially impacted businesses across all sectors, with water and wastewater utilities being no exception (see our previous blog post). Two major factors influenced revenue streams for…