$17 Million for Small System Training, Technical Assistance & Water Quality Initiatives

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) announced more than $17 million in grant funding to help provide training and technical assistance to small drinking water and wastewater systems that often serve small communities and rural America. This funding will improve public health and environmental protection by helping to ensure that drinking water in these communities … Read more

The 20th Annual Utility Rate Survey is Underway

The digital and print versions of the 20th Annual Rate Survey questionnaire went out to utilities at the beginning of February.   Each year, AE2S conducts a survey of water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste utility rates throughout the region. Two unique reports are prepared based on community population. One is for communities with populations of … Read more

Inflation as a Key Utility Budget Consideration

It is often noted “the budget is a guide.” That said, when developing a “guide” that is a good faith estimate of actual expected expenditures, experience-based assumptions are critical. Inflation assumptions are one key consideration to ensuring near-term utility budgets or long-term forecasts will meet the actual revenue requirements of the utility.  The practice of … Read more

2021 Financial Capability Assessment for Clean Water Act Obligations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) signed a Federal Register notice finalizing the 2021 Financial Capability Assessment (FCA) for Clean Water Act (CWA) Obligations. A pre-publication of the 2021 FCA is available until the official version is published in the Federal Register, which has been delayed until the document can be reviewed by the Biden … Read more

How do your rates compare? Find out by participating in the 20th Annual Utility Rate Survey!

Watch your email inbox or mailbox for the 20th Annual Rate Survey questionnaire. The digital and print versions of the survey will be sent in February to utilities.   Each year, AE2S conducts a survey of water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste utility rates throughout the region. Two unique reports are prepared based on community population. One … Read more

Considerations for Utilizing Special Assessments for Improvements

Special assessments are a commonly used tool to finance the construction of improvements in parts of the country. The basic idea is that the cost of improvements is assigned to the individual properties that benefit and in relation to how much benefit is received. In other words, when a new water pipeline is installed along … Read more