EBookClubs

Read Books & Download eBooks Full Online

EBookClubs

Read Books & Download eBooks Full Online

Book Water and Wastewater Finance and Pricing

Download or read book Water and Wastewater Finance and Pricing written by George A. Raftelis and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2014-07-24 with total page 600 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Strategy Guide for Water Utility Managers and Executives, and a Compendium of Best Financial Practices for Utility Financial Leaders, a "How-To" Guide for Rate and Finance Technicians and a Reference Point for Policymakers Detailing utility financial plans and rate structures, and highlighting how they align with community sustainability goals and utility objectives, is the focus of the fourth edition of Water and Wastewater Finance and Pricing: The Changing Landscape. Working from a historical perspective, this revised and updated text addresses the current pricing and financial management challenges involved in the water and wastewater industry. It builds on the concepts used in the standard manuals of the American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation, and offers additional insight into the long-term sustainability of water systems. Provides Practical Applications of Finance and Pricing Approaches This comprehensive guide to financial and pricing practices delves into a number of factors that have impacted how utility finances its capital program and how it structures rates to recover revenue requirements. Among numerous management challenges, the book addresses such issues as reduced per capita usage and customer demand, a weak economy, social media, balancing community environmental sustainability with financial sufficiency, an increased focus on water demand management and efficiency, and the concern over rate affordability. The author factors in the rate-setting process, implementing a cost-of-service and rate model as key input in each chapter, and also presents a strong financial and rate plan for achieving long-term sustainability. What’s New in the Fourth Edition: Presents cutting-edge management approaches and initiatives, and the importance of strong financial management in addressing strategic financial and pricing goals Expands the discussion on traditional financing options, factoring in the current economic climate Explores in detail how to integrate risk considerations into the development of effective financial and rate plans. Includes techniques for projecting demand by retail, wholesale and other customer classes Provides methodologies for the development of water reuse, wholesale, and wheeling rates Contains computer models that include scenario builders, rate dashboards, and graphical presentations of key rate and financing concepts Discusses effective public education approaches to gain stakeholder support of a utility’s financial and rate plan Introduces "triple bottom line" concepts into selecting an appropriate financial and rate plan Expands the concepts of water and wastewater financial planning into the stormwater discipline Water and Wastewater Finance and Pricing: The Changing Landscape, Fourth Edition focuses on water and wastewater financial management and pricing, and is geared toward professionals assigned to develop water and wastewater financial plans and rates, senior managers with the responsibility for the long term financial sustainability of the utility, investors evaluating the financial strength of utilities, engineers/consultants planning water and wastewater facilities, academics teaching financial and pricing principles as a part of public policy curriculum, regulators needing to understand the financial viability of utilities under their purview, and policy makers desiring to support effective financial and rate plans for their constituencies.

Book Benchmarking Water Services

Download or read book Benchmarking Water Services written by Enrique Cabrera Jr and published by IWA Publishing. This book was released on 2011-03-01 with total page 185 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Benchmarking has become a key tool in the water industry to promote and achieve performance targets for utilities. The use of this tool for performance improvement through systematic search and adaptation of leading practices, has expanded globally during the past decade. Many ongoing projects worldwide aim to address different needs and objectives, in varying contexts, with outstanding results and impact. Benchmarking Water Services provides valuable information to everyone interested in benchmarking in the water industry. The text is aimed at utilities considering joining a benchmarking project, experienced practitioners in charge of organizing a benchmarking exercise, consultants, regulators and researchers. The document is presented with a clear practice oriented approach and can be used as a how-to-benchmark guide presented from different perspectives (participants, organizers, supervising bodies). Readers will gain practical insight on real life benchmarking practices and will benefit from the experiences gained in some of the leading benchmarking projects of the water industry (including the IWA-WSAA benchmarking efforts, the European Benchmarking Co-operation and the several benchmarking projects carried out in Austria and Central Europe). The manual also presents the new IWA Benchmarking Framework, which aims to harmonize the terms used to describe benchmarking and performance indicators practices in the water industry, guaranteeing a more fluent and efficient communication. This Manual of Best Practice is edited by the IWA Specialist Group on Benchmarking and Performance Assessment, and co-published by AWWA and IWA Publishing. Praise for Benchmarking Water Services: "The continual trend of conceptual to specifics throughout the book provides for an educational experience each time the book is either casually perused or carefully studied." "The authors (Cabrera, Haskins and Fritiz) diligently pursue the focus of improvement." "Benchmarking Water Services is an in depth and practical ‘must have’ guide for any utility currently engaged in or planning to develop a benchmarking process" - Gregory M. Baird (2012) Benchmarking: An International Journal 19:2. More information about the book can be found on the Water Wiki in an article written by the author: http://www.iwawaterwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Articles/TheNewIWABenchmarkingFramework A Spanish language version of this book is available as a free eBook: http://www.iwawaterwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Articles/eBookTitlesfromIWAPublishingFreetoDownload-Volume2#HBenchmarkingParaServiciosdeAgua

Book The American City   County

Download or read book The American City County written by and published by . This book was released on 1996-07 with total page 626 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Book The IBNET Water Supply and Sanitation Performance Blue Book

Download or read book The IBNET Water Supply and Sanitation Performance Blue Book written by Caroline van den Berg and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2010-12-23 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book aims to raise awareness of how the International Benchmarking Network of Water and Sanitation Utilities (IBNET)can help utilities identify ways to improve urban water and wastewater services. It provides an introduction to benchmarking and to the objectives, scope and focus of IBNET and describes some of its recent achievements. The methodology and data behind IBNET are elaborated, and an overview of IBNET results and country data are presented.

Book Urban Ecology and Global Climate Change

Download or read book Urban Ecology and Global Climate Change written by Rahul Bhadouria and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2022-04-04 with total page 349 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Urban Ecology and Global Climate Change Urban Ecology and Global Climate Change contains the latest practical and theoretical concepts of the emerging issues in urban ecological studies. The authors highlight some of the major challenges currently impeding ecological restoration goals in urbanized regions across the globe. It is sobering that the majority of sustainable development projects are being defeated by the increasing pace of two particular phenomena – namely climate change and urbanization. This book includes coverage of the major threats to biodiversity conservation and the most significant contributors to the deterioration of urban ecosystems. In addition, various case studies that reflect the anthropogenic interventions on ecological restoration are included. The book looks at evolving growth and urbanization concepts, monitoring of urbanization trends, land-use land cover (LULC) changes in urban and non-urban cities based on the use of open access data, urbanization affecting rural ecology, soil carbon emissions, urban development, human well-being and case studies of sustainable smart cities. Urban Ecology and Global Climate Change will find an appreciative audience amongst students of urban ecology and environmental policy, as well as policymakers, scientists and industrialists. The book provides an excellent introduction to the principles of smart city planning and urban sustainability with a view to maintaining ecological and conservation status of urban environments.

Book Performance Indicators for Water Supply Services

Download or read book Performance Indicators for Water Supply Services written by Helena Alegre and published by IWA Publishing. This book was released on 2016-09-15 with total page 404 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The IWA Performance Indicator System for water services is now recognized as a worldwide reference. Since it first appearance in 2000, the system has been widely quoted, adapted and used in a large number of projects both for internal performance assessment and metric benchmarking. Water professionals have benefited from a coherent and flexible system, with precise and detailed definitions that in many cases have become a standard. The system has proven to be adaptable and it has been used in very different contexts for diverse purposes. The Performance Indicators System can be used in any organization regardless of its size, nature (public, private, etc.) or degree of complexity and development. The third edition of Performance Indicators for Water Supply Services represents a further improvement of the original manual. It contains a reviewed and consolidated version of the indicators, resulting from the real needs of water companies worldwide that were expressed during the extensive field testing of the original system. The indicators now properly cover bulk distribution and the needs of developing countries, and all definitions have been thoroughly revised. The confidence grading scheme has been simplified and the procedure to assess the results- uncertainty has been significantly enhanced. In addition to the updated contents of the original edition, a large part of the manual is now devoted to the practical application of the system. Complete with simplified step-by-step implementation procedures and case studies, the manual provides guidelines on how to adapt the IWA concepts and indicators to specific contexts and objectives. This new edition of Performance Indicators for Water Supply Services is an invaluable reference source for all those concerned with managing the performance of the water supply industry, including those in the water utilities as well as regulators, policy-makers and financial agencies.

Book Public Utilities  Second Edition

Download or read book Public Utilities Second Edition written by David E. McNabb and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 2016-10-28 with total page 513 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A thoroughly updated introduction to the current issues and challenges facing managers and administrators in the investor and publicly owned utility industry, this engaging volume addresses management concerns in five sectors of the utility industry: electric power, natural gas, water, wastewater systems and public transit.

Book Sustainability Assessment

Download or read book Sustainability Assessment written by Alan James Bond and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Currently the writing on the subject is limited and comprises, for the most part, guidance documents and completed assessments.

Book Measuring Performance and Benchmarking Project Management at the Department of Energy

Download or read book Measuring Performance and Benchmarking Project Management at the Department of Energy written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2005-08-01 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 1997, Congress, in the conference report, H.R. 105-271, to the FY1998 Energy and Water Development Appropriation Bill, directed the National Research Council (NRC) to carry out a series of assessments of project management at the Department of Energy (DOE). The final report in that series noted that DOE lacked an objective set of measures for assessing project management quality. The department set up a committee to develop performance measures and benchmarking procedures and asked the NRC for assistance in this effort. This report presents information and guidance for use as a first step toward development of a viable methodology to suit DOE's needs. It provides a number of possible performance measures, an analysis of the benchmarking process, and a description ways to implement the measures and benchmarking process.

Book The Water Footprint Assessment Manual

Download or read book The Water Footprint Assessment Manual written by Maite M. Aldaya and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-08-21 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: People use lots of water for drinking, cooking and washing, but significantly more for producing things such as food, paper and cotton clothes. The water footprint is an indicator of water use that looks at both direct and indirect water use of a consumer or producer. Indirect use refers to the 'virtual water' embedded in tradable goods and commodities, such as cereals, sugar or cotton. The water footprint of an individual, community or business is defined as the total volume of freshwater that is used to produce the goods and services consumed by the individual or community or produced by the business. This book offers a complete and up-to-date overview of the global standard on water footprint assessment as developed by the Water Footprint Network. More specifically it: o Provides a comprehensive set of methods for water footprint assessment o Shows how water footprints can be calculated for individual processes and products, as well as for consumers, nations and businesses o Contains detailed worked examples of how to calculate green, blue and grey water footprints o Describes how to assess the sustainability of the aggregated water footprint within a river basin or the water footprint of a specific product o Includes an extensive library of possible measures that can contribute to water footprint reduction

Book Strategic Asset Management of Water Supply and Wastewater Infrastructures

Download or read book Strategic Asset Management of Water Supply and Wastewater Infrastructures written by Helena Alegre and published by IWA Publishing. This book was released on 2009-09-14 with total page 553 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Water and Wastewater companies operating all around the world have faced rising asset management and replacement costs, often to levels that are financially unsustainable. Management of investment needs, while meeting regulatory and other goals, has required: A better understanding of what customers demand from the services they pay for, and the extent to which they are willing to pay for improvements or be compensated for a reduction in performance Development of models to predict asset failure and to identify and concentrate investment on critical assets Improved management systems Improved accounting for costs and benefits and their incorporation within an appropriate cost-benefit framework Incorporation of risk management techniques Utilisation of advanced maintenance techniques including new rehabilitation failure detection technologies Enhancements in pipeline materials, technologies and laying techniques. These papers developed from LESAM 2007 for inclusion in Strategic Asset Management of Water Supply and Wastewater Infrastructures are focused on the techniques, technologies and management approaches aiming at optimising the investment in infrastructure while achieving demanded customer service standards, and they provide an opportunity to gain access to the latest discussion and developments at the leading-edge in this field. This book will be essential reading for utility operators and managers, regulators and consultants.

Book Evaluation Methodology Basics

Download or read book Evaluation Methodology Basics written by E. Jane Davidson and published by SAGE. This book was released on 2005 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evaluation Methodology Basics introduces evaluation by focusing on the main kinds of 'big picture' questions that evaluations usually need to answer, and how the nature of such questions are linked to evaluation methodology choices. The author: shows how to identify the right criteria for your evaluation; discusses how to objectively figure out which criteria are more important than the others; and, delves into how to combine a mix of qualitative and quantitative data with 'relevant values' (such as needs) to draw explicitly evaluative conclusions.

Book Improving Transparency  Integrity  and Accountability in Water Supply and Sanitation

Download or read book Improving Transparency Integrity and Accountability in Water Supply and Sanitation written by and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2009-01-01 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume will serve as a useful tool for those who wish to diagnose, analyze, and take action against systemic corruption in the water and sanitation sectors. On a global scale, more than 1 billion people live without access to safe, potable water, in part because of poor governance and corruption. Illegal connections and substantial losses caused by deferred maintenance have eroded the revenues of water utilities, leading to a downward spiral in performance. Embezzlement of funds, bribes for access to illegal water connections, manipulation of meter counters, and collusion in public contracts add to the litany of corrupt practices. This manual will serve as a practical guide for governments, civil society organizations, and citizens themselves in their quest for a model of service provision that responds to the pressing needs of people in the developing world.

Book Benchmarking for People Managers

Download or read book Benchmarking for People Managers written by John Bramham and published by CIPD Publishing. This book was released on 1997 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Companies can constantly improve themselves if they remain open to what is going on elsewhere. Drawing on extensive experience right across the personnel function, John Bramham cuts through the mystique of benchmarking and shows how it is done.

Book Ten Steps to a Results based Monitoring and Evaluation System

Download or read book Ten Steps to a Results based Monitoring and Evaluation System written by Jody Zall Kusek and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2004-06-15 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An effective state is essential to achieving socio-economic and sustainable development. With the advent of globalization, there are growing pressures on governments and organizations around the world to be more responsive to the demands of internal and external stakeholders for good governance, accountability and transparency, greater development effectiveness, and delivery of tangible results. Governments, parliaments, citizens, the private sector, NGOs, civil society, international organizations and donors are among the stakeholders interested in better performance. As demands for greater accountability and real results have increased, there is an attendant need for enhanced results-based monitoring and evaluation of policies, programs, and projects. This Handbook provides a comprehensive ten-step model that will help guide development practitioners through the process of designing and building a results-based monitoring and evaluation system. These steps begin with a OC Readiness AssessmentOCO and take the practitioner through the design, management, and importantly, the sustainability of such systems. The Handbook describes each step in detail, the tasks needed to complete each one, and the tools available to help along the way."

Book Risk Management for Water and Wastewater Utilities

Download or read book Risk Management for Water and Wastewater Utilities written by Simon Pollard and published by IWA Publishing. This book was released on 2016-05-15 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Water risks and security are a major global hazard in the 21st century and it is essential that water professionals have a solid grounding in the principles of preventative risk management. This second edition of the key textbook, Risk Management for Water and Wastewater Utilities, extends beyond first principles and examines the practicalities of resilience and vulnerability assessment, strategic risk appraisal and the interconnectedness of water utility risks in a networked infrastructure. It provides an up-dated overview of tools and techniques for risk management in the context of the heightened expectations for sound risk governance that are being made of all water and wastewater utilities. Risk Management for Water and Wastewater Utilities provides a valuable starting point for newly appointed risk managers in the utility sector and offers MSc level self-paced study with self-assessment questions and abbreviated answers, key learning points, case studies and worked examples.