Not compatible with Internet Explorer & older versions of Microsoft Edge
The Environmental Finance Center and the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation conducted a rates survey of nearly every water system in the State of California that serve between 500 and 3,300 connections. This dashboard is provided as a resource for small water systems in California by the California State Water Resources Control Board.
Data from the survey are used to develop an interactive online dashboard that visualizes and benchmarks financial and performance data on small water systems. The California Small Water Systems Rates Dashboard allows comparison and benchmarking of water rates, financial metrics, and other system performance measures with peers, according to important factors such as system size and customer demographics. See examples of similar dashboards for other states here.
Participating Organizations:
 |
 |
|
The Luskin Center for Innovation (LCI) conducts rigorous research and timely outreach that informs environmental policies for the health of people and the planet. We evaluate existing and proposed environmental policies to assess their effectiveness, equity impacts, and potential to spur innovation. We then share research findings with community leaders and policymakers, who use LCI’s research to design evidence-based environmental policies. |
The Environmental Finance Center (EFC) at the University of North Carolina reaches local communities through the delivery of interactive applied training programs and technical assistance. The EFC at UNC sees one of its major roles as increasing the capacity of other organizations to address the financial aspects of environmental protection and service delivery. For this reason and to support the leveraging of resources, the EFC does most of its training in a collaborative manner. |
Download this factsheet to learn more about the dashboard, its metrics, its data, and next steps.
Rates data: Rates data for this dashboard were collected by the EFC in partnership with the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.
Financial data: Financial data for this dashboard were collected from the CA state resources control board.
Census data: The American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2014-2018) from the US Census Bureau.
Minimum Wage: Inventory of the US City and Country minimum wage ordinances from the UC Berkeley Labor Center.
Census data: The American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (2014-2018) from the US Census Bureau.
System Characteristics, such as number of connections and water source type: Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Information System.
Additional Characteristics: Collected by the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation.
This dashboard only includes community water systems in California that serve between 500 and 3,300 service connections that provided rates and/or financial data for display during the summer of 2020. Over 90% of the state’s community water systems of that size that charge water rates are included in the dashboard. If your community water system is of that size and is not included on this dashboard, it may be that financial data and a rate sheet were not received during the data collection period, or clarifying questions went unanswered. Please provide your July 2020 water system’s rates, FY2018 financial data, and water system PWSID to the EFC at UNC at efc@sog.unc.edu by November 30, 2020, with a subject heading “Addition to the California Small Water Systems Rates Dashboard”.
This version of the dashboard is used as a pilot for the State of California, and additions to the dashboard of water systems outside the scope of the dashboard won’t be allowed at this time. However, please communicate your desire to be included in future iterations of the dashboard (for any water system size) by emailing the SWRCB at SAFER@waterboards.ca.gov.
The dashboard displays water rates as of July 2020 and financial data from Fiscal Year 2018. If any of these data are incorrect or are missing on the dashboard, please email the data to the EFC at UNC at efc@sog.unc.edu with a subject heading “Correction to the California Small Water Systems Rates Dashboard” by November 30, 2020.
This version of the dashboard is used as a one-time pilot for the State of California. There are currently no plans to update the dashboard in the immediate future. The State Water Board would like feedback from water systems and the public on whether the dashboard should be updated and maintained in the future. Please email feedback to SAFER@waterboards.ca.gov.
In order to ensure comparability of data across water systems at the same point in time, this version of the dashboard will not be updated with more recent data from water systems included on the dashboard.
Dials such as “Cost Recovery” rely on supplemental data in making calculations. When supplemental data is not available for a utility, the message is displayed and the dial is blanked out.
Each dial has a “?” button which shows how the dial is calculated, the data used in the calculation, and a brief explanation of the dial’s purpose.
Please send email EFC's Stephen Lapp and specify you would like a California Small Water Systems Rates Dashboard discussion for your water system. Assistance is provided at no cost to water systems serving fewer than 10,000 people.
Please send your feedback to SAFER@waterboards.ca.gov at the California State Water Resources Control Board during the public review period from October 30, 2020 through November 30, 2020. Please submit your comments by November 30, 2020.
After that date, please contact the EFC at UNC directly at efc@sog.unc.edu.
Share this on Social Media...