Gendered and partisan responses to proposed rate increases [An absurdly busy couple of months has kept me away from the blogosphere—sorry. Will try to get back into a regular groove now] Winning public support
AWWA Water Science, March 2022 This study uses an embedded survey experiment to evaluate the effects of issue framing on willingness to pay water and sewer rate increases. Government-owned utilities require public support for
Ramiro Berardo, Director ...And Water For All is an educational documentary about water affordability in Ohio. The film aims to amplify the voices of those who work toward providing clean, affordable water for all.
The science of talking about water rate increases It’s not about the water tower—it’s about what’s inside Strictly from a value standpoint, it’s hard to imagine anything that provides more bang for the buck
Notes on the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Part III Water professionals of America, unite! Late last year Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, authorizing
Notes on the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Part II* The Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act is 1,039 pages long. That’s a lot of tea. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA, better known as
Notes on the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Part I No need for air conditioning In November President Biden signed the long-awaited $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) better known as the Bipartisan
Better federal water bill assistance with this one weird trick Click here to read my op-ed on this topic in Newsweek. When Congress created a new $638 million federal Low Income Household Water Assistance
How to stop taxing water It’s hard to know exactly how much money Americans are paying in taxes at the tap, but it’s a lot. Last time I described the variety of ways that
Collecting tax revenue through water bills hurts affordability & turns utilities into coercive agents of government Can you find the tax? They may not realize it, but tens of millions of Americans pay taxes
California utility regulators lead the way with comprehensive affordability assessment Wonderboy was the star of the movie, but Savoy Special won the game Between a global pandemic and a presidential election, you might have missed
On the limits of means-tested assistance programs for water & sewer Red Sox legend Ted Williams was the last player to bat over .400... in 1941 **Warning: sports metaphor ahead** Like hitting a baseball,
No, EPA did not propose affordability guidelines for municipal utilities Late last week the EPA published in the Federal Register some proposed new guidelines for evaluating sewer utilities’ financial strength. In press releases and
About that water affordability study in The Guardian... Water is a ZILLION PERCENT unaffordable! Also, aliens. The Guardian recently published a big story on water utility affordability in the United States. The headline was shocking:
​Organization of U.S. drinking water utilities in a few simple figures Here are some graphs that convey ​a few key things about the organization of drinking water utilities in the United States​.* Sources: Energy
The congressional COVID cavalry isn’t coming to save the water sector "Nobody got nothing to say about a 40-degree day." The ink was barely dry on a $2 trillion coronavirus response law when Congress
During a public health crisis, getting the research right is paramount It started with a tweet. beware the confundus charm (Image: Julio Oliviera) A new peer-reviewed Utilities Policy article on water utility ownership, low-income
for a federal low-income water bill assistance program All watery eyes are fixed on Washington The ink is barely dry on the $2 trillion coronavirus response law, but there are rumblings that a another
How the federal government might end shutoffs & keep water flowing during the COVID-19 crisis Can’t do this if your water has been shut off. The COVID-19 crisis has escalated America’s water and sewer
​AWWA Water Science Manuel P. Teodoro and Robin Rose Saywitz ​This study uses contemporary metrics and data from an original, representative sample of water and sewer utilities in the United States to calculate the
Understanding progressive & regressive water pricing By J. Antonio Teodoro & Manny Teodoro ​maybe she runs a dialysis clinic in the basement? How do utilities distribute the costs of drinking water systems to their
U.S. water utilities are shifting costs to low-volume customers—good for revenue stability, but bad for affordability The squeeze bunt puts more pressure on the hitter than any other play in baseball. Utility financial managers
An update on what low-income U.S. households must pay for essential service It's hard to come up with amusing images for this topic About a year ago I also published the results of a
A five-point proposal to transform the U.S. water sector As daunting as the challenges in the U.S. water sector are, solutions are possible and within our grasp. Thanks to legions of smart, creative scientists
Important developments in California for utility affordability You probably need all three California’s Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) is working on establishing methods to measure affordability for utility service. The CPUC governs ratemaking for the
What the Cuyahoga River Fire says about the past and maybe the future  Fifty years ago this week the Cuyahoga River caught fire in downtown Cleveland. Observers of U.S. water policy and environmentalism
A Kansas water utility gets affordability measurement right And lo, there arose from the Kansas City suburbs a mighty measurement Recently we’ve seen progress in affordability measurement, as more water utilities are using better
A trillion-dollar federal infrastructure package and a chance to reform the water sector This post is not about theoretical physics - Warning: mixed metaphors ahead - Observers of America’s water, sewer, and stormwater systems
A decoupling drama plays out in San Jose Do you know the way? The San Jose Water Company recently proposed a significant rate increase, and its customer are understandably unhappy. Their discontent is an
Not actually the author. The image is doctored, too. A California surprise: update  California has been enjoying a great deal of rain and snow over the past several months—a pleasant rebound in precipitation
AWWA Water Science Manuel P. Teodoro ​The ability of low-income families to pay for basic water and sewer services is a subject of increasing concern. Large-scale assessments of affordability across large numbers of American
Devils (and angels) in the details, Part 5​ an ironically regressive luxury tax In early January the California Water Board (SWRCB) published its long-anticipated draft proposal for a statewide low-income water bill assistance program. I’ve
Devils (and angels) in the details, Part 4 Nobody wants to talk about this part In early January the California Water Board published its long-anticipated draft proposal for a statewide low-income water bill assistance program.
Devils (and angels) in the details, Part 3 In early January the California Water Board released its draft proposal for a statewide low-income water bill assistance program. My last couple posts summarized the proposal
Devils (and angels) in the details, Part 2 It's always about the money. In early January the California Water Board released its draft proposal for a statewide low-income water bill assistance program. My last
