UNC Environmental Finance Center

It's not an exaggeration to say that we fund many major local fire departments completely haphazardly. This seems important in current debates and future efforts to right-size wildfire fighting capacity in urban areas. As the great UNC Environmental Finance Center tagline says, "How [and whether] you pay for it matters" https://lnkd.in/gr2DRVZt

Thank You for a Great 2025 Water and Wastewater Finance Strategies Workshop! A huge thank you to all the speakers, attendees, and organizers who made the 2025 Water and Wastewater Finance Strategies Workshop a success! Over the past two days, we explored key financial strategies for sustainable water and wastewater management at the UNC School of Government and virtually via Zoom. Special thanks to our incredible presenters: ?? Hope Thomson, MPH – Introduction to Water/Wastewater & What EFC Can Do for You ?? Kara Millonzi – The Legal Basics & System Development Fees ?? Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi, Ph.D. – Rates and Affordability Dashboards ?? Bill Rivenbark – Financial Sustainability Metrics ??? Tony Dongarra – Viable Utilities Program Overview ?? Alicea Easthope-Frazer – Decentralized Sewer Systems ?? Shadi Eskaf – State Funding Opportunities This workshop covered everything from legal foundations to affordability dashboards, system development fees to decentralized systems, and state funding insights. It provided valuable knowledge and practical strategies for improving water infrastructure finance. Thank you again for your engagement and dedication to sustainable water finance strategies! ???? #WaterFinance #Infrastructure #EnvironmentalFinance #UNC #SustainableCommunities

?? Last chance! Registration for the UNC EFC's Annual Water & Wastewater Finance Strategies Workshop closes Monday, 1/27 at noon. You can attend either in person in Chapel Hill or?via Zoom.?For those who have already registered, you may switch to the remote option?if you prefer. The course fee is the same for both options. This annual workshop provides utility practitioners?with the tools, knowledge, and up-to-date information needed to navigate today’s challenges. This is your chance?to connect with industry peers, learn actionable strategies, and ensure that?your utilities are equipped for success. ???Dates: February 3–4, 2025 ?? Location: UNC Knapp-Sanders Building 400 South Road Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Who Should Attend? ? Local government staff ? Local elected officials ? Utility staff ? Consultants Earn Credit Hours?(Pending Approval): ? Water Operators:?Approved by the Water Treatment Facility Operators Certification Board ? Wastewater Operators:?Approved by the Water Pollution Control System Operators Certification Commission ? Professional Engineers CEU Credits:?10.00 hours PDH Credits:?10.00 hours Professional Engineers seeking PDH credit should submit the agenda and license number?to NC BELS. At the workshop's conclusion, Water Treatment Operators and Water Pollution Control Operators must sign the course attendance roster. ???Reserve Your Spot Today!?For more details or to register, visit https://lnkd.in/gJ4HbtPV

It's still January, which means now is a good opportunity for local governments to make New Year’s resolutions for their water utility in 2025. Here are a few resolutions to consider: ?? 1. Review utility finances through the lens of audited financial data ??? 2. Establish or revisit your capital improvement plan ?? 3. Consider revenue generation Read more about setting goals for utility financial health and the UNC EFC tools that can help on our blog: https://lnkd.in/dyqWNFGM

? Important Update: To alleviate travel hardships, we are opening the UNC Environmental Finance Center’s Annual Water and Wastewater Finance Strategies Workshop up to remote participation. You can attend either in person in Chapel Hill or?via Zoom.?For those who have already registered, you may switch to the remote option?if you prefer. The course fee is the same for both options. This annual workshop provides utility practitioners?with the tools, knowledge, and up-to-date information needed to navigate today’s challenges. This is your chance?to connect with industry peers, learn actionable strategies, and ensure that?your utilities are equipped for success. ???Dates: February 3–4, 2025 ?? Location: UNC Knapp-Sanders Building 400 South Road Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Who Should Attend? ? Local government staff ? Local elected officials ? Utility staff ? Consultants Earn Credit Hours?(Pending Approval): ? Water Operators:?Approved by the Water Treatment Facility Operators Certification Board ? Wastewater Operators:?Approved by the Water Pollution Control System Operators Certification Commission ? Professional Engineers CEU Credits:?10.00 hours PDH Credits:?10.00 hours Professional Engineers seeking PDH credit should submit the agenda and license number?to NC BELS. At the workshop's conclusion, Water Treatment Operators and Water Pollution Control Operators must sign the course attendance roster. ???Reserve Your Spot Today!?For more details or to register, visit https://lnkd.in/gJ4HbtPV

Are you looking to sharpen your skills in pricing, infrastructure finance planning, and identifying funding resources for water and wastewater utilities? Join us for the UNC Environmental Finance Center’s Annual Water and Wastewater Finance Strategies Workshop! This annual workshop provides utility practitioners?with the tools, knowledge, and up-to-date information needed to navigate today’s challenges. This is your chance?to connect with industry peers, learn actionable strategies, and ensure that?your utilities are equipped for success. ???Dates: February 3–4, 2025 ?? Location: UNC Knapp-Sanders Building 400 South Road Chapel Hill, NC 27514 Who Should Attend? ? Local government staff ? Local elected officials ? Utility staff ? Consultants Earn Credit Hours?(Pending Approval): ? Water Operators:?Approved by the Water Treatment Facility Operators Certification Board ? Wastewater Operators:?Approved by the Water Pollution Control System Operators Certification Commission ? Professional Engineers CEU Credits:?10.00 hours PDH Credits:?10.00 hours Professional Engineers seeking PDH credit should submit the agenda and license number?to NC BELS. At the workshop's conclusion, Water Treatment Operators and Water Pollution Control Operators must sign the course attendance roster. ???Reserve Your Spot Today!?For more details or to register, visit?https://lnkd.in/gJ4HbtPV

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