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What is the North Carolina Water & Wastewater Rates Dashboard?

This interactive rates and financial benchmarking dashboard is designed to assist utility managers and local officials with analyzing residential water and wastewater rates against multiple characteristics, including utility finances, system characteristics, customer base socioeconomic conditions, and geography. Financial indicators are added in a separate tab. This resource for utilities in North Carolina is provided by and funded by the Division of Water Infrastructure of the NC Department of Environmental Quality. 

Comparison Groups

FY2018 (January 2018) residential rates for utilities across North Carolina can be compared with:

• All other utilities in the State,
• Utilities of the same size,
• Utilities with similar operating revenues,
• Utilities with the same water source type,
• Utilities in the same watershed,
• Utilities within 25, 50, or 100 miles,
• Utilities in counties of the same economic tier, and
• Utilities that serve communities with similar income levels

You can compare rates for 0 to 15,000 gallons/month at 500 gallon intervals.

You can also raise rates by up to 150% and observe the (hypothetical) effects on the utility's rates, revenues and rate affordability.

Financial Indicators

The following measures for the selected utility are compared to key indicators or to the utilities within the selected comparison group:

• Monthly water/wastewater bills,
• Monthly bill as % Median Household Income for the service community,
• Conservation pricing signal, and
• Operating ratio.

In the Financial Benchmarks tab, eight financial performance indicators are displayed for your utility, calculated from data reported on your utility's audited financial statements and provided to the Local Government Commission. The indicators include:

• Operating ratio with depreciation
• Operating ratio without depreciation
• Debt service coverage ratio
• Quick ratio
• Days cash on hand
• Debt-to-Equity ratio
• Asset depreciation
• Transfers in/out of the Enterprise Fund

Provide Feedback

Please take this 1 minute survey to help us understand how the dashboard is being used in North Carolina, whether it is useful, and what can be improved to better assist you.