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Water Consumption and Utility Revenues at the Start of a Pandemic: Insights From 11 Utilities
Author(s) -
Smull Erika,
Eastman Lucas,
Patterson Lauren,
Doyle Martin
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/awwa.1804
Subject(s) - revenue , consumption (sociology) , water utility , demand management , non revenue water , economics , business , agricultural economics , natural resource economics , water supply , finance , environmental science , water resources , environmental engineering , water conservation , macroeconomics , ecology , social science , biology , sociology
Key Takeaways Eleven utilities from across the United States were studied to understand the pandemic's effects on water consumption and utility revenues. Most utilities in the study saw an overall increase in water consumption with a rise in residential demand that offset declines in nonresidential demand. Most utilities in the study experienced increased revenues in 2020 compared with previous years, largely due to rate increases, inclining block rates, and an unusually warm summer. Water utilities’ ability to adjust to fluctuating demand and changing revenue patterns is a testament to their sound financial practices.