Controlling Costs Shadi Eskaf Environmental Finance Center at
- Slides: 59
Controlling Costs Shadi Eskaf Environmental Finance Center at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Environmental Finance Center Network 919. 962. 2785 eskaf@sog. unc. edu
12/12/2021 Large Capital Fixed Costs • We have already discussed ways that you can control the cost of your large fixed assets (pipes, wells, pumps, storage, etc. ) • Asset management will extend the life of your equipment, and capital planning will allow you to replace it when it is most economical www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 What about other costs? • Large, non-capital fixed costs – Staffing, billing, vehicles, machinery, insurance, technical support • Costs tied to usage (variable costs) – Energy, chemicals www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Session Objectives • Explore partnership and regionalization options • Discuss energy management www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Option 1: Partnering with Other Systems to Reduce Costs www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 System Partnership Spectrum Any kind of collaboration can be helpful www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Benefits of Partnerships • Reduce capital and operating costs and prices (per gallon of finished water produced) through increased economies of scale • Help raise capital needed to replace and improve aging water-delivery infrastructure www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Benefits of Partnerships • Improve operational performance through wider use of trained operators and advanced treatment technologies • Enhance environmental protection, resource conservation, and contingency planning for conditions of scarcity, through increased coordination and integrated planning. www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Common Concerns with Partnerships • • • Desire for Autonomy Mistrust of Other Systems Lack of Knowledge of the Options No Outside Independent Force to Get Collaboration Started www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Bulk Sales Agreements www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 What Can You Buy In Bulk? • • Chemicals Testing supplies Office equipment What else? www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Bulk Purchase of Chemicals • Northeast/Merrimack Valley Consortium of Water & Wastewater Facilities, MA – 35 community water systems – Negotiated lower prices with vendors – Purchase laboratory supplies and treatment chemicals together – Systems agree not to seek out vendors independently www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Bulk Purchase of Chemicals • Tremonton, UT – Serves 3, 500 customers but is largest system for 30 miles – Serves as “chlorine clearinghouse”—buys chemicals in bulk and re-sells them at their cost to small neighboring systems www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Bulk Laboratory Services • 100 systems in Ohio – Organized by a for-profit full-service company – Consortium purchases lab services in bulk on behalf of 100 systems – Volume discounts of 10 to 50 percent at labs www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Other Options • Sharing heavy equipment • Sharing staff • Using the same accounting firm or billing firm • Contract out services www. efcnetwork. org
Sharing Equipment (Example: WARN) 12/12/2021 • Water/Wastewater Agency Response Network (WARN). – Utilities helping utilities for emergency response – Each state has own WARN program. Sign up!! – http: //www. nationalwarn. org Or watch this video. – Developing a statewide network of private and public water/wastewater systems to share equipment, resources and personnel in times of emergency. – Centered around a “Mutual Aid and Assistance Agreement” that specifies terms www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Sharing Staff • Panora and Des Moines, IA – Panora is a small system serving 1, 175 customers – Had difficulty retaining operators. – Had high nitrate levels, but operators not certified to operate surface water treatment plant – Signed an MOU with Des Moines to allow Des Moines to monitor the treatment plant remotely and limiting need for on-site operator to 2. 5 hours per day (works on other city duties now) www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Sharing Staff • Program of Shared Operation & Management (POSOM), MT – Provides operational and management assistance to very small community systems – Most important assistance is how to stay in compliance with SDWA – Individualized to a particular system’s needs www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Sharing Billing www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Sharing Billing The Electric and Water/Wastewater Systems share top management, customer services, billing, meter reading and accounting. . . By sharing in this billing we all save on postage, paper, payroll, benefits and computers while giving the customer the convenience of one stop service and a single monthly bill. www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Contract Out Services • Enviro. Link, Inc. of North Carolina – http: //envirolinkinc. com/ – For-profit water company with trained and certified operators and managers, enter into management and service contracts with public and private utilities to run their services – Work on neighboring systems – Do not transfer ownership. Work with the governing board. www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Does anyone in the room have these types of arrangements? www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 What are Issues you Discuss/Put in Writing in your Inter-local Agreements? • • • Service area boundaries Usage limits Meter maintenance and ownership Water quality Capital costs Resale or capacity Water pressure Communications, service interruptions Conservation status and measures … and more. www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 System Interconnections • Tripp County Water User District, SD – 8 independent systems serving 2, 700 customers – Systems are self-operated; no transfer of ownership – Shared higher quality source water and testing – Testing costs down $3, 000 per year per system – Better access to SRF funds www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 System Interconnections • Logan-Todd Regional Water Commission, KY – 12 systems partnered together to share water source and treatment – Created to help drive economic development by serving a new poultry plant and alleviate use of drought-vulnerable water supplies – State and federal funding agencies supported partnership by funding above normal levels www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 How is your system connected to other systems, if at all? www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Resources on Water System Partnerships efc. unc. edu/projects/partnerships. htm Tips and Guidelines for Crafting Inter-local Agreements Thanks to Public Water Supply Section (NC DENR) and local governments EFC Contacts: Shadi Eskaf, Jeff Hughes www. efcnetwork. org
Crafting Successful Inter-local Agreements Available at efc. unc. edu/projects/partnerships. htm Format – Questions to consider, descriptions, example text – Advice for getting inter-local agreements right, avoid pitfalls – NOT draft contract – NOT every issue that will come up in every document www. efcnetwork. org 12/12/2021
12/12/2021 Option 2: Asset Transfer and System Consolidation www. efcnetwork. org
When is it time to transfer a water system? • Is it possible? – Current compliance status with regulatory agencies – Potential interconnection if necessary – Another organization with interest – State of system’s assets – State of system’s finances – Funding the transition www. efcnetwork. org 12/12/2021
12/12/2021 Current Compliance Status • Does your water source currently require treatment? • Are there proposed rules that will significantly impact your financial health? • Is your system in compliance with your permit? www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Potential Interconnection • Do you have an interconnection? • If you are a stand alone system, what is your back up plan in the event your current water source fails? www. efcnetwork. org
Another Organization With Interest 12/12/2021 • Is there an urban boundary surrounding your system? • Can your system increase the number of loops in the event of a water main break? • Are your rates higher than a neighboring system? • Is the organization a Municipality, District, Non Profit, Corporate, HOA, or Nontransient non corporate? www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 State of Your System’s Assets • When was your system built? • Do you have an asset management plan that includes a restricted liquid assets? • Are your customers metered? • Is your distribution system looped? • Have you replaced the mechanical equipment since its construction? • Have you replaced the distribution line since its construction? • What is your water loss percentage? www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 State of System’s Finances • Are your revenues greater than expenses? • Is your system reinvestment reserve account equal to 80 percent of your system’s original cost? • Do you make bulk water sales? • Do you give away water? • Are you carrying debt? www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Other Considerations • • Does the owner take a salary? Does the owner have invested equity? Is the owner on a debt guarantee? If the decision is made to “sell the business” setting value is different that simply putting the business up for sale • Limited buyers will have restrictions – Example municipalities can only pay net assessed value • Obligation to serve requires continuous service www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Asset Transfer • Ellsworth Estates Water Company, CT – Small private HOA system serving 82 homes sold to Connecticut Water Company, a large private system serving 41 communities – Sale after elderly co-operator died; other elderly co-operator could not handle system on his own. Many violations and out of compliance. – Now has access to 30 operators and could spread capital costs over entire CWC system www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Asset Transfer • Mountain Regional Water Special Service District, UT – Consolidation of 12 public and private community systems into one new entity – Much greater access to paid, professional operators www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 System Consolidation • Region 18 School District, CT – 3 non-transient, non-community water systems, each serving one school, consolidated when they ran into water storage issues and defective wells – New well and storage system serves all three schools www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 How many of you would like to get out of the water business? Has anyone here tried? www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Option 3: Energy Management www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Energy Use and Water Utilities • Energy represents the largest short-run controllable cost of providing water services to the public www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Energy Use at Water Systems • Pumping water is the largest consumer of energy • Energy use is expected to increase – increases in demand in some systems – new energy intensive technologies (ozone, membranes, UV) www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Water Systems are Energy Users • In 2010 water systems used 12. 6% of the nation’s total annual energy consumption = annual consumption of ~40 million Americans www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Energy Management Techniques • • • Equipment changes Process changes Time of operation changes Billing rates changes Electricity generation Reducing water loss www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Possible Changes • Raw and Finished Water Pumping • Chemical Mixing • Backwashing • Well Systems • Ozonation www. efcnetwork. org • Load Shifting • Distribution • Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) • Energy Efficient Motors
12/12/2021 Equipment Changes • Madera Valley, CA – Serves 1, 600 customers www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Equipment Changes • Valparaiso, IN – Serves 35, 000 customers (not small system) www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Process Changes • Run your existing equipment differently • Key is to stay in compliance with your permit but reduce unnecessary energy expenditures www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Time of Operation Changes • On-peak vs. off-peak consumption affects rates • Understanding the electric utility’s pricing policies (rate structures) is critically important www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Billing Rate Changes • Valparaiso, IN – Serves 35, 000 customers (not small system) – Did a full rate analysis and realized they were not being charged lowest possible rate at one plant – Switch to different rate structure saved them $12, 000 annually without any changes to energy use www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Energy Generation • Keene, NH – Serves 5, 100 customers – Water supply is at a higher elevation than the treatment plant, resulting in head pressure – Harnesses excess pressure through a turbine to generate more electricity than is needed to run the entire plant each year – Cost savings $18, 500 annually www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Water Loss • Newmarket, NH – Serves 5, 000 residents – Had 33. 6 percent of water unaccounted for in billing – Switched to new automated meters, went from quarterly to monthly billing, and encouraged conservation – Saved water and gasoline www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Comprehensive Approach www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Has anyone here done energy management for your system? Had an energy audit? www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Develop Baseline of Energy Use • Collect and organize equipment, energy use, and hydraulic data • Develop an understanding of where, why, and when energy is used • Understand energy bills and the rate structure that is used to set energy costs www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Portfolio Manager • https: //www. energystar. gov/istar/pmpam/ • Portfolio Manager is an interactive energy management tool that allows you to track and assess energy consumption online www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 Portfolio Manager • Track multiple energy and water meters for each facility • Customize meter names and key information • Benchmark your facilities relative to their past performance • View percent improvement in weather-normalized source energy • Monitor energy and water costs • Share your building data with others inside or outside of your organization • Enter operating characteristics, tailored to each space use category within your building. www. efcnetwork. org
12/12/2021 www. efcnetwork. org
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