Stormwater Finance and Management
June 24-25, 2008
UNC School of Government, Chapel Hill, NC

The goal of the course is to provide local government managers, finance directors, planners, and public works officials with an in-depth introduction to planning and funding stormwater programs and utilities. More info

North Carolina Rural Water Association
May 14-15, 2008
Greensboro, NC

Class topics (pdf)
EFC Presentations:

Board Management in a Time of Drought (pdf) - Andrew Westbrook
New Models for Utility Partnerships (pdf) - Jeff Hughes

Coastal Growth Strategies for Elected Officials
May 1, 2008
Pamlico County, NC

A course designed to help local elected officials effectively engage in processes that integrate community water quality protection goals and strategies with growth and redevelopment.
More info

Funding Local Conservation and Land Preservation (pdf)
March 28, 2008 Montreat, NC

The EFC presented in the 2008 Southeast Land Trust Conference (pdf) on identifying and obtaining funding and resources for land and water conservation.

Reassessing our Rates: Including Conservation Rates & How to Make it All Work (pdf)
March 26, 2008 Morganton, NC

The EFC presented on using the intersection between water rates, conservation and utility revenues at the Advanced Day workshop. In addition, results from the recently completed,
2007-08 North Carolina Water and Wastewater Rates Survey were presented.

Water: At what price? (pdf)
March 10, 2008 Kinston, NC

The EFC presented on the issues affecting water pricing in NC and the latest trends in pricing in context of the onoing drought at the 2008 Regional Water Summit. The NC Eastern Region, the Eastern Carolina Council and the NC Rural Water Association hosted the Summit.
More on the Summit (pdf)

2007 Georgia Rural Water Association Fall Conference
October 28-30, 2007 Helen, GA
This presentation described the results of a rate study for over 80% of the public and non-profit water and sewer systems in Georgia that serve more than 50 accounts. A customer expenditure model developed by EFC calculated water and sewer bills for any consumption amount. Statewide statistics were generated graphically and individual utility bill amounts were tabulated for every survey respondent.
The presentation also involved an introduction to a tool based on this type of data that has been developed for North Carolina, but may be available in Georgia soon.
Click to see the presentation "What Georgia Customers are Paying for Water."

Back to the Basics: Investing in and Improving Appalachia's Infrastructure
Appalachian Regional Commission Fall Conference
October 24-25, 2007 Charleston, WV
EFC Director Jeff Hughes delivered the keynote address at the 2007 annual Appalachian Regional Commission Conference in Charleston, WV. The presentation included an overview of water and wastewater financial challenges and strategies throughout Appalachia.

Environmental Management Systems (EMS) Workshop
Ocotober 4, 2007 Winston-Salem, NC
The NC AWWA-WEA Finance and Management Committee hosted this workshop to:

• Provide participants with an overview of environmental management systems
• Review how to develop an approach for implementation of an EMS project at their utility
• Give participants an understanding of the benefits to their utility

2007 Annual Southeast Watershed Roundtable: Sustaining our Water Infrastructure through Watershed-based Approaches
August 1-3, 2007 Braselton, GA

18th Annual On-Site Sewage Treatment and Disposal Conference
January 17-18, 2007 - Auburn, AL
The talk was structured on the recent experiences of the coastal North Carolina Communities of Pine Knoll Shores and Nag’s Head, both of which are low to medium density communities with no centralized sewer system that are looking for new ways to address the threat posed to public health and the local environment by poorly managed, privately owned septic systems and package plants.
EFC's presentation "Initial and Long-term Financing of Decentralized and Cluster Systems" (pdf; 549 KB)
Click to visit the Alabama Onsite Wastewater Association.

Funding Coordination Educational Track: Council of Infrastructure Funding Authorities State Revolving Fund Workshop
November 12-14, 2006 -Philadelphia, PA
The sessions highlighted coordination practices, tools, and initiatives from across the country.

5th International Water Association World Water Congress
September 11-14, 2006, Bejing, China

Asset Management and Capital Planning
September 7, 2006 - Huntersville, NC
The objective was to provide participants with information and skills to perform long range capital project planning for new facilities, as well as renewal and replacement for existing facilities.

Water and Wastewater Finance - How Do You Find the Money for all those Projects?
August 16, 2006 - Savannah, GA
The EFC coordinated this panel presentation to look at the different options that are currently available for financing water and wastewater projects in the State of Georgia. There was special emphasis on both the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. The speakers also addressed water rate structures and how they affect a utility’s income and financial planning.

Stormwater Finance: Taxes vs. Fees. Presentation for Southeast Watershed Roundtable August 3, 2006
The SE Watershed Roundtable, in cooperation with the NC Statewide Roundtable presented a forum for watershed stakeholders to foster dialogue and cooperation on watershed programs.
EFC's presentation "The Great Environmental Finance Debate" (pdf; 1.4 MB)

Advancing Asset Management in Your Utility - A "Hands-on" Workshop
April 18-19, 2006, Chapel Hill, NC
This workshop was centered on “case-based” mentoring by asset management practitioners. The agenda was built around five core questions. The workshop focused on demonstrating, step-by-step, how a utility would select and deploy “Best Appropriate AM Practices.

Water Utility Rates 201: Rates and Revenue
February 28th, 2006 - Durham, NC
The purpose of the training was to discuss more advanced issues surrounding rate and fee setting affecting water and wastewater utilities in North Carolina, through a hands-on application.

The Joint Southeastern Stormwater Management and Erosion and Sediment Control Conference
October, 2005 - Peachtree City, GA
EFC was a co-sponsor of The Joint Southeastern Stormwater Management and Erosion and Sediment Control Conference held in Peachtree City, GA in October, 2005. The conference was hosted by the Southeast Chapter of the International Erosion Control Association and the University of Georgia. Local governments, watershed organizations, industry professionals and consultants shared strategies for involving and educating communities for improving stormwater quality. The focus was on sharing ideas for successful local programs to meet the various requirements of EPA’s NPDES Phase II program. See the presentation on: "Financing local government stormwater programs: Examples from NC," that was delivered by the UNC EFC.

Protecting Your Drinking Water at its Source
September, 2005 -Greensboro, NC
This was a uniquely collaborative and fun event for individuals to learn about protecting the source of their own water supply. The conference's main organizer was "Clean Water for North Carolina." Sessions included "Financial strategies for protecting your water supply and "Getting to know your local Source Water Report; locating potential sources of contamination." In addition to co-sponsoring the event, the Environmental Finance Center led a session on strategies and tips for organizations interested in working on source water protection projects with local governments. See the presentation handout here.

NC AWWA/WEA Customer Service Seminar
October, 2005- Wilmington, NC
This workshop provided utility managers and customer service professionals from the office and the field a chance to learn new ways to address the everyday challenges and opportunities presented in dealing with customers. See the presentation "Irate about Rates" by the UNC EFC.

EFAB Affordability Workshop
The UNC EFC is a part of the federal Environmental Finance Program. This program has 3 main components: The Environmental Financial Advisory Board ( EFAB), the Environmental Finance Center Network (EFCN), and the Environmental Financing Information Network (EFIN). Through its involvement with the Environmental Finance Program, the EFC has been involved in this Affordability Workshop. Click to see the agenda and to be able to access each of the presentations.

Charlotte Charrette on Sustainable Urban Environments (pdf)
July 22, 1999 - Charlotte, NC
Implementing a Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund: Charlotte and several other cities in EPA Region IV received grants from EPA in 1999 to set up revolving loan funds for brownfields cleanup (BCRLF). These are innovative efforts to bring Superfund monies to bear on the cleanup of brownfields. The early implementation of the BCRLF program was difficult nationwide, and prior to submitting its workplan to EPA, the City of Charlotte and the UNC EFC joined forces with thirty experts and interested parties to discuss ways to approach such a fund in Charlotte.