Drinking Water Financial Module
The EFC developed financial modules for communities threatened and/or impacted by adverse environmental conditions. There is a module for each of three community components—Water, Wastewater and Solid Waste. These modules focus on the financial information needed to help a community with the decision of whether to defend and adapt-in-place, or instead to relocate. First, each module consists of questions for a community to consider that help in the decision-making process. The Drinking Water and Wastewater modules also include online resources to help answer the questions, including federal and state agency resources for Alaska, Oregon and Washington. Last, each module includes example budget templates in spreadsheet documents to help with estimating costs for the different scenarios, and an online inflation calculator to update budget estimates developed in prior years.
- Questions to consider and resources
First there are overall, general questions to consider and resource materials to help answer the questions. These may be specific to the type of utility or facility, such as drinking water, or general so that they can be used for any type of utility or facility. This is followed by four scenarios that a community may want to consider, and example budget templates in a spreadsheet format to assist in beginning to estimate the cost of one or more of these scenarios. - Scenario 1: Defend and adapt in place
This includes considerations and planning for existing utilities and facilities, such as restoration, renovation and/or expansion of an existing facility. - Scenario 2: Relocate to a new land base
This scenario includes considerations and planning for site close-out and clean-up costs at the current location, and where needed, questions and resources for the planning and construction of new facilities and utilities. - Scenario 3: Relocate to an existing community
While this scenario may simpler than the others, there are still questions to consider, and planning to be done. - Scenario 4: Do nothing
Lastly, if a community cannot choose one of the previous options, then what must be considered and prepared for while the residents stay in place. - Example budget templates and inflation calculator
Questions to consider and resources
Drinking Water Specific
(Which can be used for other infrastructure as well.)
- Does your drinking water source, treatment facility or distribution system flood?
https://www.epa.gov/waterutilityresponse/build-flood-resilience-your-water-utility
- Is your drinking water source, treatment facility, or distribution system impacted by erosion?
- Can it be protected by a barrier?
- Is your drinking water source, treatment facility, or distribution system in an area that could be impacted by other environmental events?
- Has a vulnerability assessment been completed?
Scenario 1: Defend and adapt in place
1.1 Do you know what type of new drinking water infrastructure you will need (source, treatment, distribution)?
https://www.epa.gov/dwsixyearreview/drinking-water-distribution-systems
1.2 Do you have a drinking water system plan in place?
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=2000JTPU.txt
1.3 Do you know who to contact in a drinking water emergency?
https://dec.alaska.gov/eh/dw/contact/#nogo
https://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/DrinkingWater/OfficesandStaff
https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Pubs/331-211.pdf
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/emergency-community-water-assistance-grants
1.4 Do you have engineering assistance?
1.5 Can any existing facilities be moved to the location system?
1.6 Do you have construction permits in place?
1.7 If you do not have permits do you know who to contact?
1.8 Do you know what planning and construction funding is available?
https://dec.alaska.gov/water/village-safe-water/funding-conditions/
https://dec.alaska.gov/water/technical-assistance-and-financing/state-revolving-fund/
1.9 Do you have ownership or right of use (easements) for the new location (source, treatment, distribution)?
1.10 Will you have legal access to all facilities?
1.11 Is the access passable?
1.12 Do you have water rights for a new source or can you transfer existing water rights to a new source?
1.13 Do you have operations permits in place?
https://www.doh.wa.gov/DataandStatisticalReports/EnvironmentalHealth/DrinkingWaterSystemData
1.14 Do you have a certified operator?
1.15 Do you have the administrative capacity to manage a drinking water facility?
1.16 Can you pay for O & M of a drinking water facility?
Scenario 2: Relocate to new land base
2.1 Do you know what type of new drinking water infrastructure you will need (source, treatment, distribution)?
https://www.epa.gov/dwsixyearreview/drinking-water-distribution-systems
2.2 Do you have a drinking water system plan in place?
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=2000JTPU.txt
2.3 Do you have engineering assistance?
2.4 Can any existing facilities be moved to the location system?
2.5 Do you have construction permits in place?
2.6 If you do not have permits do you know who to contact?
2.7 Do you know what planning and construction funding is available?
https://dec.alaska.gov/water/village-safe-water/funding-conditions/
https://dec.alaska.gov/water/technical-assistance-and-financing/state-revolving-fund/
http://www.infrafunding.wa.gov/downloads/Funding-Program-Summary.pdf
2.8 Do you have ownership or right of use (easements) for the new location (source, treatment, distribution)?
2.9 Will you have legal access to all facilities?
2.10 Is the access passable?
2.11 Do you have water rights for a new source or can you transfer existing water rights to a new source?
2.12 Do you have operations permits in place?
https://www.doh.wa.gov/DataandStatisticalReports/EnvironmentalHealth/DrinkingWaterSystemData
2.13 Do you have a certified operator?
2.14 Do you have the administrative capacity to manage a drinking water facility?
2.15 Can you pay for O & M of a drinking water facility?
Scenario 3: Relocate to an existing community
3.1 Is there an existing drinking water system?
https://www.doh.wa.gov/DataandStatisticalReports/EnvironmentalHealth/DrinkingWaterSystemData
3.2 Will the existing system need to be expanded to accommodate additional community members?
3.3 Can the existing system be expanded?
3.4 Do you MOA/MOU’s in place?
3.5 If a new drinking water facility is needed, do you know what type of new drinking water infrastructure you will need (source, treatment, distribution)?
https://www.epa.gov/dwsixyearreview/drinking-water-distribution-systems
3.6 Do you have a drinking water system plan in place?
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPDF.cgi?Dockey=2000JTPU.txt
3.7 Do you have engineering assistance?
3.8 Can any existing facilities be moved to the location system?
3.9 Do you have construction permits in place?
3.10 If you do not have permits do you know who to contact?
3.11 Do you know what planning and construction funding is available?
https://dec.alaska.gov/water/village-safe-water/funding-conditions/
https://dec.alaska.gov/water/technical-assistance-and-financing/state-revolving-fund/
http://www.infrafunding.wa.gov/downloads/Funding-Program-Summary.pdf
3.12 Do you have ownership or right of use (easements) for the new location (source, treatment, distribution)?
3.13 Will you have legal access to all facilities?
3.14 Is the access passable?
3.15 Do you have water rights for a new source or can you transfer existing water rights to a new source?
3.16 Do you have operations permits in place?
http://www.deq.idaho.gov/regional-offices-issues/
https://www.doh.wa.gov/DataandStatisticalReports/EnvironmentalHealth/DrinkingWaterSystemData
3.17 Do you have a certified operator?
3.18 Do you have the administrative capacity to manage a drinking water facility?
3.19 Can you pay for O & M of a drinking water facility?
Scenario 4: Do nothing
4.1 Do you know what type of drinking water infrastructure you have (source, treatment, distribution)?Do you have a drinking water system plan in place?
4.2 Do you know who to contact for technical, operational or managerial assistance?
https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water
4.3 Do you know who to contact in a drinking water emergency?
https://dec.alaska.gov/eh/dw/contact/#nogo
https://www.doh.wa.gov/CommunityandEnvironment/DrinkingWater/OfficesandStaff
https://www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Pubs/331-211.pdf
https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/emergency-community-water-assistance-grants
4.4 Do you know what planning and construction funding is available?
https://dec.alaska.gov/water/village-safe-water/funding-conditions/
https://dec.alaska.gov/water/technical-assistance-and-financing/state-revolving-fund/
http://www.infrafunding.wa.gov/downloads/Funding-Program-Summary.pdf
4.5 Do you have ownership or right of use (easements) for your drinking water infrastructure (source, treatment, distribution)?
4.6 Will you have legal access to all facilities?
4.7 Is the access passable?
4.8 Do you have water rights for your source?
4.9 Do you have operations permits in place?
https://www.doh.wa.gov/DataandStatisticalReports/EnvironmentalHealth/DrinkingWaterSystemData
4.10 Do you have a certified operator?
4.11 Do you have the administrative capacity to manage a drinking water facility?
4.12 Can you pay for O & M of a drinking water facility?
Example Budget Templates
- Revenue Template
- Construction Budget Template
- Example Asset Inventory and Replacement Template
- Example Annual Operations Budget Template
- Inflation calculator
Back to Decision Tree & Financial Modules