Here’s a great opportunity from our friends at the American Water Works Association. If you can’t attend, follow along at #affordability
With financing of infrastructure renewal and replacement projects being a significant concern for many water and wastewater utilities, rate increases have been necessary for some utilities to sustainably fund infrastructure projects on an ongoing basis. Rate increases can increase the financial burden on utility customers, particularly low-income customers with the most highly impacted customers dedicating a significant portion of their household income toward water/wastewater utility bills. To reduce the impact, many utilities have implemented programs to assist low income customers. Water utilities have addressed affordability concerns in many ways with the legislative framework driving differences at a local, regional and federal level.
The Transformative Issues Symposium on Affordability will bring together water sector professionals from across North America to discuss the most important and challenging issues associated with affordability. This event will feature presentations given by affordability thought leaders and will engage attendees in facilitated discussions to help foster the exchange of ideas on this evolving topic of concern.
Topics will focus on identifying affordability concerns, overcoming legal and regulatory barriers, customer assistance programs, utility rate setting, infrastructure financing and case studies sharing lessons learned from affordability programs implemented by water and wastewater utilities. The content will consider key questions, challenges, solutions and areas of acute interest most relevant to the advance the knowledge and understanding of affordability on a federal, state and regional/local level.
Link: Affordability and Affordability 2