Utility Financial Information (UFI) Survey And Database

Addressing water utility finances is always a challenge, and in today’s economic climate water system executives need every advantage to maximize their financial planning and performance. That’s why AMWA has developed its new Utility Financial Information (UFI) initiative, a program that can significantly expand knowledge and understanding of critical financial factors that affect large metropolitan water utilities.

AMWA launched its online survey on January 12, 2009 to gather the information necessary to help members better understand the financial dynamics of peer utilities across the country, particularly the magnitude and drivers of rate increases. The survey period closed on June 1, 2009.

The survey was open only to AMWA members, so the results reflect input from the nation’s largest systems and provide data that can be used for many useful and meaningful comparisons. Follow-up surveys may be conducted to add a historical dimension to the data.

The overall purpose of the UFI survey is to increase the level of understanding among AMWA members regarding large metropolitan water agencies’ rates, revenue sources, expense categories, and trends over time in these parameters. The availability and understanding of relevant comparative data from peer water utilities will help water managers better understand cost drivers, identify different alternatives for funding these costs, and provide comparative data for presentation to put in context financial needs.

The data will also be useful to AMWA in creating statistical support for legislative and regulatory initiatives where sound, representative utility financial information is required.

A number of basic analyses (members only) of UFI survey data were conducted on the information collected by March 31.

UFI Database and Webinar

The survey database is available for download only by AMWA member utilities that completed the survey. It is available in Excel and Access formats and passcodes are required for access. Contact Carolyn Peterson if you have not received your passcode. Download files from this page. Each utility response was scrubbed to remove the utility name and location (except for the state, which was retained to allow geographical sorting of information). Members are asked not to share this database outside their own organizations.

In addition, a 40-minute webinar on use of the data is available.  The program includes a review of the database in both Excel and Access format and a demonstration of how several key analyses can be executed.

Questions about the UFI project should be referred to Carolyn Peterson, peterson@amwa.net or 202-331-2820.