**Note: This dashboard uses Flash, which is incompatible with the Chrome web browser. Please use another browser, such as Mozilla Firefox, to view this dashboard.**

This interactive Rates Dashboard is designed to assist utility managers, finance directors, Board members, local officials, reporters, and customers in comparing their residential water and wastewater rates against multiple characteristics, including utility finances, system size, customer base demographics, and geography. Rates data for this dashboard are drawn from the 2013 Sewer and Water Rates Survey conducted by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Fiscal Administration, Economic Analysis Unit. Financial data are drawn from the Ohio Water Development Authority (OWDA).

This Rates Dashboard was constructed as part of the Smart Management for Small Water Systems nationwide project of the Environmental Finance Center Network (EFCN). The EFCN is composed of numerous Environmental Finance Centers around the country, including the Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, which created this dashboard. This dashboard was created under a cooperative agreement with the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

View a video tutorial on how to use one of the EFC's interactive rates dashboards. 

The dashboard includes residential water and/or wastewater rate structures effective in calendar year 2013 for approximately 430 public utilities in the state of Ohio. These residential water, wastewater, or water and wastewater combined rates for Ohio, evaluated at 7,756 gallons per month of usage, can be compared with:

• All other utilities in the State,
• Utilities of the same size,
• Utilities with similar revenue generation,
• Utilities in the same river basin,
• Utilities with the same water source,
• Utilities serving communities with similar median household incomes,
• Utilities within 50 miles, and
• Utilities of the same ownership type.

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

• Monthly water, wastewater, or water and wastewater combined bill for the selected consumption amount,
• Monthly bill as a percentage of median household income (MHI) for the community,
• Ratio of operating revenues to operating expenses (when available), and
• Ratio of operating margin to long term debt service coverage (principle + interest payments) (when available).

You can compare the monthly bill charged for 7,756 gallons/month of usage. You can also raise rates by up to 100% and observe the (hypothetical) effects on the utility's rates, revenues and rate affordability. And there is an Historical Data tab with annual rates for each utility across the period from 2002 to 2013.

In addition, system financial health and customer demographic profiles are provided for utilities where data are available.

Troubleshooting

The dashboard is is an Adobe Flash (swf) file that should automatically run on your web browser once it is launched. The dashboard might take 20 to 40 seconds to load on your browser. If you are having trouble accessing the dashboards, try the following steps:

1. Download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player (9.0 or later) on the browser you are using to access the dashboards (Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc.)
2. If an error message appears warning about running scripts, accept the scripts to launch the dashboards.
3. If you are still having trouble accessing the dashboard, try switching to another web browser (we recommend using Chrome or Internet Explorer). You may need to download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player again before you proceed.
4. If you are still unable to launch the dashboard, please email David Tucker.