How do you pay for it? Do program fees cover
the costs of providing service in a fair and equitable manner? What
is the best way to get capital financing to pay for environmental infrastructure?
Are environmental programs managed as efficiently as possible? These
are questions that are the focus of the work carried out by the Environmental
Finance Center at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Below are summaries of the projects we are
currently working on. For more information on a project, please click
its title. (For summaries of past projects,
click here).
GA
Water and Wastewater Rates and Rate Structures: In
2007, the Environmental Finance Center and the Georgia Environmental
Facilities Authority collected and analyzed 439 water and wastewater
rate structures for 415 public service providers in Georgia. So
far, in 2008, we've collected rates and rate structures from over
90% of the state's water systems. This information can assist
elected officials and staff as they make decisions related to
water and wastewater services during budget preparations.
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NC
Water and Wastewater Rates and Rate Structures: Every year,
the Environmental Finance Center (EFC) and the North Carolina League
of Municipalities (NCLM) collect rate schedules from hundreds of
local government and not-for-profit utilities across the state.
The rate schedules are used to determine what residential and commercial
customers of these utilities are billed for their water and wastewater
service, at various consumption levels. This information can assist
elected officials and staff as they make decisions related to water
and wastewater services during budget preparations. |
NC
Statewide Water Infrastructure Funding Coordination: The EFC
is supporting NC by researching models and strategies for coordinating
the state's water infrastructure funding. The Center will assess
statewide coordination models from other states and interview NC
stakeholders to find alternatives and strategies well-suited for
NC. |
Water
Operator Recognition and Retention: One common problem that
many small drinking water systems face is a high turn over among
water operators. This project identifies practices that have proven
successful in the retention of water operators. It also involves
marketing these “best practices,” in the form of case
studies, to other systems in order to improve their operator retention. |
Yadkin
Valley Sewer Authority: The Yadkin Valley Sewer Authority (YVSA)
is an example of a new, productive wastewater Authority. The EFC
is providing general institutional and financial advice as this
new Regional Authority develops. As costs and the administrative
burden of managing a wastewater utility continue to escalate, regional
sewer authorities are on the rise. Regional authorities allow municipalities
to take advantage of economies of scale. |
Stormwater
Model Ordinance for N.C. Local Governments: The UNC School
of Government's Environmental Finance Center, in cooperation with
the League of Municipalities and the Association of County Commissioners,
has developed a model local ordinance for the Phase II stormwater
regulations as implemented in North Carolina.
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Water
and Sewer Needs Assessment for Appalachian Regional Commission Project:
The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) has contracted with
the Environmental Finance Center to carry out a water and wastewater
infrastructure needs and gap assessment in the 410-county Appalachian
Region. The main purpose of the project is to provide policy makers
and local officials with detailed information on future water and
sewer investment requirements and financial strategies to meet those
needs given the fiscal capacity of individual communities. |
Landfill
Capacity Analysis: Each year, the Department of Natural Resources
(with support from the UNC EFC) measures the capacity of North Carolina's
active municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. This project includes
the most up-to-date landfill capacity statistics, as well as a series
of maps that present the issue of landfill capacity in a more relevant,
geographical context. New for 2005, the UNC EFC has created a comprehensive,
interactive solid waste web site that allows users to point-and-click
their way to waste disposal data for each of the state’s 100
counties, and capacity information for each of the state’s
40 active MSW landfills. |
Financially
Sustainable Water Infrastructure Initiative: Of the many questions
facing water and sewer utility professionals, perhaps the most vital
to the financial well being of the utility and ultimately to the
protection of public health and the environment include: How does
your utility set your water and sewer rates? Do you know the full
cost of providing water and sewer service in your community? If
so, how do you communicate financial needs to elected officials
and the general public? The EFC is undertaking an effort to help
local communities answer these questions so that they can move towards
financial sustainability. |
Resource
Conservation and Sustainability for Local Governments: Elected
officials are making public commitments to local government sustainability
efforts. The next step is for local government employees to act
on these commitments in ways that serve the public interest, make
good use of limited financial resources, and achieve environmental
goals. The Environmental Finance Center is researching techniques
and funding mechanisms to assist local and state governments conserve
resources and develop sustainable practices. |