UNC Environmental Finance Center

?? Introducing Our New Cumulative Burden Dashboard! ?? We are excited to launch a powerful tool for North Carolina’s drinking water utilities, municipalities, and related organizations. This dashboard offers insights into social and environmental burdens, integrating national and state-level demographic data to enable comparisons across (State View) and within service areas (Local View). ?? Key Features: ? Capital Project Planning: Identify areas and populations needing infrastructure investments. ? Funding Eligibility: Understand service population characteristics to explore funding opportunities. ? Customer Support: Enhance local customer knowledge for targeted service improvements. Empower your planning and support efforts with this essential tool. Check out the dashboard now and start making a difference! ???? Click here to view the dashboard: https://lnkd.in/etYeY5ug #NCWaterUtilities #cumulativeburden #environmentaljustice #DataDrivenInsights #DataDrivenPlanning

Ensuring tribal communities have access to funding?to establish, repair, and maintain robust and safe infrastructure is critical to public health, especially after disasters like Hurricane Helene. Read about targeted funding tailored to meet the specific needs of tribal utilities in this month's blog: https://lnkd.in/emNyN7f2

Navigating disaster recovery can be daunting. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Infrastructure (DWI) and the UNC EFC are jointly offering a FREE webinar this Thursday, November 14 from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm to provide guidance on the procurement requirements and allowances during emergency and urgent situations, and how to document recovery needs to ensure eligibility for FEMA Public Assistance. Join us to hear from experts Crista Cuccaro of the UNC School of Government, John Griego and Dillon Lappe of FEMA, and Shonda Corbett of NC Emergency Management. Register using this link: https://lnkd.in/eUd4PVqR

As our neighbors in western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene, the UNC Environmental Finance Center is gathering and sharing information and resources to help water and wastewater systems navigate this emergency. The North Carolina Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network?(NCWaterWARN) is a network of utilities across the state dedicated to helping each other respond to and recover from emergencies. Learn more about NCWaterWARN and how to access it here: https://lnkd.in/eR4qwpZM Read more about common issues and customer impacts local governments deal with when resuming water and wastewater service after a major disruption here: https://lnkd.in/ea9T9bnU Find these and other Hurricane Helene resources on the UNC School of Government's NC Emergency Management microsite: https://lnkd.in/ebJTJXVC

Key financial indicators allow a water/wastewater/sewer utility to get a snapshot of its financial health and determine whether it needs to adjust its rates or consider regional solutions. Check out our Financial Benchmarks Series to learn how to calculate, interpret, and utilize these indicators: https://lnkd.in/epUgYwFb We've prepared in-depth guides to: Operating Ratio Percent Capital Assets Depreciated Debt Service Coverage Ratio Days Cash On Hand Quick Ratio The North Carolina Collaboratory graciously funded the Financial Bookmark Series. Want more guidance? The UNC EFC is here to help! You can reach the UNC EFC by email at [email protected] or via the web at https://lnkd.in/e5X-pTDu

Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi, Ph.D., Interim Executive Director, represented the UNC Environmental Finance Center at the 2024 Water and Health Conference, presented by The Water Institute At UNC on October 18! The session included speakers from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, USEPA, OWASA- Orange Water and Sewer Authority, and NORTH CAROLINA CONSERVATION NETWORK. Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi, Ph.D., moderated the panel on Finance and Governance. The panel discussed how water utilities must provide clean drinking water, adequate sanitation, reliable service, long-term sustainability, and infrastructure investment while maintaining affordable rates and conserving water resources. They examined the challenges utilities in high-income countries, like the United States, face in achieving financial viability, especially those serving small populations, and the growing gap between infrastructure needs and available funding. The Environmental Finance Center at UNC-CH offers free one-on-one technical assistance for water systems. If you are interested in our support, contact us at?[email protected] or fill out our?Technical Assistance Request Form: https://lnkd.in/gKHms2-S #cleanwater #drinkingwater #water #EPA

?? Calling all North Carolina jobseekers, local government leaders, nonprofit professionals, and more: Join the UNC School of Government's ncIMPACT Initiative and UNC Environmental Finance Center teams next Tuesday, 10/22 for a FREE webinar. Engage with experts to learn about emerging job opportunities and how to help your community become more resilient by meeting challenges related to infrastructure, job shortages, and climate change. Register here: https://lnkd.in/dGzQj_Ag #jobs #greenjobs #northcarolina #environment #water #resilience #opportunities #workforce #CarolinaAcross100

The NC Floodplain listserv offers a platform to exchange information, ask questions, and share resources for floodplain management in North Carolina. In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, much of the discussion is now centered around emergency management to aid recovery efforts. Subscribe to the NC Floodplain listserv and view past messages here: https://lnkd.in/e2UJH8Tj

The UNC EFC hosted the Highly Treated Wastewater Pilot Summit this week in Chapel Hill. Towns received funds from the North Carolina Legislature to complete major upgrades to their wastewater systems. These funds also help identify gaps in resources & solutions for small wastewater utilities in NC. Our thoughts are with all Western North Carolina residents as they recover from Hurricane Helene’s devastation, particularly the towns of Lansing and Hot Springs, which are part of the Highly Treated Wastewater Pilot. You can engage with experts from the EFC to learn how to find and access funding opportunities. https://lnkd.in/e5X-pTDu #Water #Wastewater #HTWW #Funding

?? Calling all water and sewer utility managers, clerks, and finance officers in North Carolina! Join the UNC School of Government's Kara Millonzi on September 17th and 18th for the Utilities Billing and Collections Administration course. Participants will engage in a series of interactive exercises to apply general concepts to common scenarios that arise in utility billing and collections. The course is available in person or online. Participants earn 8.00 CPE hours. Learn more and register here: https://lnkd.in/e8gwfv_y