Stacey Isaac Berahzer is a Senior Project Director for the Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina, and works from a satellite office in Georgia. In teaching environmental finance we develop many charts and graphics to help illustrate … Read more

Jeff Hughes is the Director of the Environmental Finance Center. I’ve come to the opinion that rate structures, particularly those that are designed to promote conservation and water efficiency, may be getting a bad rap or at least getting more … Read more

Guest author Catherine Noyes is an Associate Consultant at Raftelis Financial Consultants.

Since October, 2010, the Houston-Galveston area has suffered from one of the worst droughts on record. According to the Area Council’s Clean Rivers Program, by the end of 2011, the City of Houston had repaired 17,756 water line breaks, up from 10,821 in 2010. Given that July, 2012 was the hottest month in 117 years of records, it’s not surprising that water service utilities around the country are struggling to keep up with the drought damage impacting buried infrastructure. This damage includes anything from soil shifting as it dries out, to tree roots working their way into pipes in search of moisture.

Depending on where these breaks occur, homeowners may be responsible for shouldering the financial burden of repair or replacement – often at a cost of thousands of dollars. Many homeowners may not know that they are responsible for both the water line that runs from their home to the city’s water meter, and for the sewer line that runs from their home to the city’s sewer main. Through line protection programs, homeowners have a chance to mitigate the significant financial cost that can accompany standard emergency line replacement or repair, which homeowner’s insurance may not cover.

Now in pursuit of his PhD at the University of Maryland, Casey Wichman wrote the report referenced below as an Environmental Economics Analyst with the Environmental Finance Center. Water utilities in the Southeast are increasingly considering the adoption of “smart” … Read more

Christine E. Boyle, PhD is a Post-doctoral Fellow at the Environmental Finance Center. Dr. Boyle investigates new models for sustainable local water and energy provision.   Why are utilities exploring alternative business models? Water and wastewater utilities in Georgia, and most of … Read more

Jeff Hughes is the Director of the Environmental Finance Center and the Principal Investigator for the Water Research Foundation project mentioned in the post. A recent report estimated that water utilities across the country will need $1,000,000,000,000 (count the zeros…) … Read more

Guest author Susan Ancel is the Director of Water Distribution and Transmission with EPCOR Water Services Inc.       Recently, EPCOR Water Services Inc. (EPCOR) (in conjunction with its Regulator, the City of Edmonton City Council) reviewed the utility’s … Read more

Mary Tiger is the Chief Operating Officer for the Environmental Finance Center and Project Manager for the Water Research Foundation Project. Making the way to financial sustainability can feel like an uphill battle for utilities when stressed by unexpected weather, … Read more

Mary Tiger is the Chief Operating Officer for the Environmental Finance Center and Project Manager for “Defining a Resilient Business Model for Water Utilities” Project funded bythe Water Research Foundation. Water and wastewater utilities most commonly generate revenue by charging … Read more

Daniel Kolomeets-Darovsky is an Environmental Finance Analyst with the Environmental Finance Center. stephen schiller / Free Photos   Defining a resilient business model for water utilities is no easy task in a time of unprecedented economic conditions, scare capital, and … Read more