From 2002 to 2012, billed water consumption in Hampton Roads declined from 127 million gallons per day (mgd) to 115 mgd. This 10% decrease in consumption occurred while the region’s population grew by more than 105,000 people. Based on this data, per capita water use decreased by 15% over ten years. Water, sewer collection, and sewer treatment bills are all based on water consumption. As water use declines, municipal water and wastewater utilities are struggling with shrinking revenues and obsolete rate structures. Pricing of water and wastewater services must evolve to provide for long-term utility financial stability, encourage water conservation, and maintain customer affordability. The Directors of Utilities Committee, an advisory committee to the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, prepared this document to characterize the factors contributing to utility revenue gaps and strategies being explored by municipal water and wastewater utilities at the local and national levels. The final report and the two-page issue profile may be accessed via the following links:

• Issue Profile (two-page summary)
• Water and Wastewater Utilities, Designing the Rate Structure of the Future, September 2013

The Directors of Utilities Committee, an advisory committee to the HRPDC, prepared a report (left) and two-page issue profile that characterizes the factors contributing to utility revenue gaps and strategies being explored by municipal water and wastewater utilities at the local and national levels.