UNC Environmental Finance Center

10/16/2025

📢 Schedule update!

Every Monday, the UNC Environmental Finance Center team hosts a free, one-hour webinar covering the core responsibilities of running a public water or wastewater utility. Next week's session will now focus on accounting and financial reporting, with guest expert Gregory S. Allison from the UNC School of Government.

📆 Date: Monday, October 20
🕚 Time: 11 a.m.
🔗 See the full, updated schedule and find the link to the recurring Zoom meeting here: https://efc.sog.unc.edu/back-to-basics-water-wastewater-101-for-new-staff-elected-officials/

Our staff is also available every Thursday from 1 to 2 p.m. for office hours sessions, providing space for follow-up discussion, clarifications, and questions.

Back to Basics: Water/Wastewater 101 for New Staff/Elected Officials September 18, 2025 By Alicea Easthope-Frazer, Senior Project Director, SOG Environmental Finance Center Turnover is a fact of life for water and wastewater utilities. New board members are elected every few years, and staff transit...

10/10/2025

Are you a new utility staff member or board member trying to get up to speed on the fundamentals of utility management? We've got you covered.

Every Monday, join the UNC Environmental Finance Center team and guest experts from the UNC School of Government for a free, one-hour virtual session covering the core responsibilities of running a public water or wastewater utility:

Asset Management: October 13
Billing and Collections: October 20
Rate Setting: October 27
Communication: November 17
Workforce Development: November 24
Procurement: December 8
Partnerships: December 15
.. and more. See the full schedule and find the link to the recurring Zoom meeting here: https://efc.sog.unc.edu/back-to-basics-water-wastewater-101-for-new-staff-elected-officials/

Drop in for any and all topics most relevant to you. Participants receive the slides after each session. Our staff is also available on Thursdays from 1:00 – 2:00 pm for office hours sessions to provide space for follow-up discussion, clarifications, and questions.

Back to Basics: Water/Wastewater 101 for New Staff/Elected Officials September 18, 2025 By Alicea Easthope-Frazer, Senior Project Director, SOG Environmental Finance Center Turnover is a fact of life for water and wastewater utilities. New board members are elected every few years, and staff transit...

02/04/2025

Thank You for a Great 2025 Water and Wastewater Finance Strategies Workshop!

A huge thank you to all the speakers, attendees, and organizers who made the 2025 Water and Wastewater Finance Strategies Workshop a success! Over the past two days, we explored key financial strategies for sustainable water and wastewater management at the UNC School of Government and virtually via Zoom.

Special thanks to our incredible presenters:

💧 Hope Thomson, MPH – Introduction to Water/Wastewater & What EFC Can Do for You
⚖️ Kara Millonzi – The Legal Basics & System Development Fees
📊 Ahmed Rachid El-Khattabi, Ph.D. – Rates and Affordability Dashboards
📉 Bill Rivenbark – Financial Sustainability Metrics
🏛️ Tony Dongarra – Viable Utilities Program Overview
🌍 Alicea Easthope-Frazer – Decentralized Sewer Systems
💡 Shadi Eskaf – State Funding Opportunities

This workshop covered everything from legal foundations to affordability dashboards, system development fees to decentralized systems, and state funding insights. It provided valuable knowledge and practical strategies for improving water infrastructure finance.

Thank you again for your engagement and dedication to sustainable water finance strategies! 💙💧

02/03/2025

Did you know Carolina has environmental field site locations that offer ecosystem settings ranging from mountains 🏔️ to coasts 🌊 to urban 🏙️ environments?

Students experience a combination of indoor and outdoor classroom time and fieldwork at all the field sites.

Each site focuses on themes relevant to their community or region and provides a semester-long opportunity for students to explore real-world issues through a combination of course work, field trips, group research projects and internships with local organizations.

Learning happens in the field, but students are also attending seminars and directly engaging with leaders in relevant science fields.

Want to learn more? Come to our pizza party and meet students who have been to a field site!

🗓 February 7, 5-7 p.m.
📍 Murray Hall, Third Floor

01/23/2025

📣 Last chance!

Registration for the UNC EFC's Annual Water & Wastewater Finance Strategies Workshop closes Monday, 1/27 at noon.

You can attend either in person in Chapel Hill or via Zoom. For those who have already registered, you may switch to the remote option if you prefer. The course fee is the same for both options.

This annual workshop provides utility practitioners with the tools, knowledge, and up-to-date information needed to navigate today’s challenges. This is your chance to connect with industry peers, learn actionable strategies, and ensure that your utilities are equipped for success.

📅 Dates:
February 3–4, 2025

📍 Location:
UNC Knapp-Sanders Building
400 South Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Who Should Attend?
• Local government staff
• Local elected officials
• Utility staff
• Consultants

Earn Credit Hours (Pending Approval):
• Water Operators: Approved by the Water Treatment Facility Operators Certification Board
• Wastewater Operators: Approved by the Water Pollution Control System Operators Certification Commission
• Professional Engineers

CEU Credits: 10.00 hours
PDH Credits: 10.00 hours

Professional Engineers seeking PDH credit should submit the agenda and license number to NC BELS. At the workshop's conclusion, Water Treatment Operators and Water Pollution Control Operators must sign the course attendance roster.

👉 Reserve Your Spot Today! For more details or to register, visit https://www.sog.unc.edu/courses/water-and-wastewater-finance-strategies-workshop

01/22/2025

It's still January, which means now is a good opportunity for local governments to make New Year’s resolutions for their water utility in 2025.

Here are a few resolutions to consider:

📈 1. Review utility finances through the lens of audited financial data
🛠️ 2. Establishing or revisiting your capital improvement plan
💲 3. Consider revenue generation

Read more about setting goals for utility financial health and the UNC EFC tools that can help on our blog: https://efc.sog.unc.edu/resolutions-for-utility-financial-health-in-2025/

01/14/2025

⭐ Important Update:

To alleviate travel hardships, we are opening the UNC Environmental Finance Center’s Annual Water and Wastewater Finance Strategies Workshop up to remote participation. You can attend either in person in Chapel Hill or via Zoom. For those who have already registered, you may switch to the remote option if you prefer. The course fee is the same for both options.

This annual workshop provides utility practitioners with the tools, knowledge, and up-to-date information needed to navigate today’s challenges. This is your chance to connect with industry peers, learn actionable strategies, and ensure that your utilities are equipped for success.

📅 Dates:
February 3–4, 2025

📍 Location:
UNC Knapp-Sanders Building
400 South Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Who Should Attend?
• Local government staff
• Local elected officials
• Utility staff
• Consultants

Earn Credit Hours (Pending Approval):
• Water Operators: Approved by the Water Treatment Facility Operators Certification Board
• Wastewater Operators: Approved by the Water Pollution Control System Operators Certification Commission
• Professional Engineers

CEU Credits: 10.00 hours
PDH Credits: 10.00 hours

Professional Engineers seeking PDH credit should submit the agenda and license number to NC BELS. At the workshop's conclusion, Water Treatment Operators and Water Pollution Control Operators must sign the course attendance roster.

👉 Reserve Your Spot Today! For more details or to register, visit https://www.sog.unc.edu/courses/water-and-wastewater-finance-strategies-workshop

12/18/2024

Are you looking to sharpen your skills in pricing, infrastructure finance planning, and identifying funding resources for water and wastewater utilities?

Join us for the UNC Environmental Finance Center’s Annual Water and Wastewater Finance Strategies Workshop!

This annual workshop provides utility practitioners with the tools, knowledge, and up-to-date information needed to navigate today’s challenges. This is your chance to connect with industry peers, learn actionable strategies, and ensure that your utilities are equipped for success.

📅 Dates:
February 3–4, 2025

📍 Location:
UNC Knapp-Sanders Building
400 South Road
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

Who Should Attend?
• Local government staff
• Local elected officials
• Utility staff
• Consultants

Earn Credit Hours (Pending Approval):
• Water Operators: Approved by the Water Treatment Facility Operators Certification Board
• Wastewater Operators: Approved by the Water Pollution Control System Operators Certification Commission
• Professional Engineers

CEU Credits: 10.00 hours
PDH Credits: 10.00 hours

Professional Engineers seeking PDH credit should submit the agenda and license number to NC BELS. At the workshop's conclusion, Water Treatment Operators and Water Pollution Control Operators must sign the course attendance roster.

👉 Reserve Your Spot Today! For more details or to register, visit https://www.sog.unc.edu/courses/water-and-wastewater-finance-strategies-workshop

NC Dept of Environmental Quality UNC School of Government UNC Institute for the Environment

12/18/2024

The State Revolving Fund can be an attractive funding option for many utilities because it covers a broad range of projects with different loan options. But ...

11/26/2024

Ensuring tribal communities have access to funding to establish, repair, and maintain robust and safe infrastructure is critical to public health, especially after disasters like Hurricane Helene.

Read about targeted funding tailored to meet the specific needs of tribal utilities in this month's blog: https://efc.sog.unc.edu/federal-water-and-wastewater-funding-for-tribal-nations/

11/12/2024

Navigating disaster recovery can be daunting. The NC Dept of Environmental Quality Division of Water Infrastructure (DWI) and the UNC EFC are jointly offering a FREE webinar this Thursday, November 14 from 10:00 am - 12:00 pm to provide guidance on the procurement requirements and allowances during emergency and urgent situations, and how to document recovery needs to ensure eligibility for FEMA Public Assistance.

Join us to hear from experts at the UNC School of Government, FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency, and NC Emergency Management.

Register using this link: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/164e478a275344e885ebfd1e0a39e20b

11/11/2024

Explore green jobs in North Carolina! Find our “Working Towards Resiliency” webinar recording and a downloadable PDF for exploring jobs that protect the environment and support sustainability in North Carolina on our “Upcoming Webinars” page. Thank you to our colleagues at the UNC Environmental Finance Center for co-hosting this helpful discussion! https://carolinaacross100.unc.edu/osow-collaboratives-2/upcoming-webinars-2024/