Water systems across the country have approached drinking water affordability using different metrics and innovative solutions. While other parts of the country take on affordability at a local level, California is tackling this issue at the statewide level. In 2012, … Read more

Unlike your favorite TV show, college football, or even your cell phone, water is a truly vital part of life. However, many Americans may still not have affordable access to this necessity. The question of whether or not water is … Read more

Water pricing is a delicate art, as utilities often must balance competing priorities when setting rates. How can the utility set rates that ensure financial sustainability for the system while also balancing affordability concerns for customers? With any rate increase, … Read more

Big News in the World of Innovative Water Rate Design Last week, one of the most interesting water rate structures we’ve seen recently was narrowly voted down in a referendum vote.  After several years of debate and campaigns to win … Read more

Shadi Eskaf is a Senior Project Director for the Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Our research shows that water rates have been rising faster than CPI inflation in the past few years for hundreds … Read more

Shadi Eskaf is a Senior Project Director for the Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. A couple of months ago, we blogged that water utilities’ operating revenues are generally continuing to grow every year, but … Read more

Shadi Eskaf is a Senior Project Director for the Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina. Previous blog posts (here and here) discussed the fact that per capita water consumption is declining. The financial ramifications can be significant, … Read more