Balance the Fund with ‘Customer Conversations’

Albuquerque Uses Customer Outreach to Gain Deeper Insights into Infrastructure Needs, Conservation and Rate Increases

By Frank Roth & Carol Malesky

As many utilities look to implement water conservation programs in order to address drought and water shortfalls, the challenge of maintaining a utility’s fund balances becomes more prevalent.

As an example, it is a testament to the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority’s (Water Authority) water conservation program success that per capita consumption dropped from 252 gallons in the mid-1990s to just 127 gallons in 2015. However, a successful conservation program coupled with crumbling infrastructure wreaks havoc on a utility’s fund balances.