Strategic indicators for characterization of water system infrastructure and management

Abstract

Shifts in the US water industry are characteristic of the flux found across all infrastructure sectors. Economic, environmental, market, regulatory and systemic forces are pushing the industry toward a different future where challenges of significant capital formation, competitiveness, efficiency and resource allocation will be prevalent. Amidst these drivers, longstanding assumptions about water provision and management are under scrutiny. The path forward remains unsettled as industry players debate the role of the federal government in financing pending capital challenges. The two sides of the debate describe divergent paths, and the one taken will define the industry's near-term structure. One hand indicates a pending crisis that necessitates substantial federal assistance while the other suggests staying the course towards self-sufficiency.

(cont.) Missing from these discussions is objective evidence concerning the state of the industry. To supply the missing component, this thesis develops and applies a rational methodology to characterize a national cross section of large water systems. The methodology provides a basis for (a) understanding the state of systems within the national portfolio and (b) guiding strategic assessment and policy development. A set of common, core indicators are deployed that rely upon widely available operating and financial data and make use of thresholds that serve as estimates of industry-wide averages or standards. Once applied, the indicators provide grounds for describing an enterprise's structure and core functions as well as assessing both capital needs and opportunities. The evidence indicates that large systems are adequately positioned to handle near-term capital challenges, so an expanded federal role is unnecessary. In addition, alternatives that might improve national water provision remain largely untested, so policies and strategies that support exploration of these approaches are recommended. The work presented is a key step toward normalizing an industry.