The Environmental Finance Center @ The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (efc@unc)

Current Projects and Programs

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.

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.

Photo of Bay Springs Lock and Dam - Mississippi

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.

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.