The University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center (UMD EFC) partnered with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC EFC) to deliver integrated water planning assistance to communities. Assistance was delivered through webinars, office hours, and case study development with support from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Water.
The EFCs hosted multi-part, community-focused virtual convenings to facilitate dialogue and information sharing. The content of these meetings was based on integrated planning case studies developed by EPA and a review of completed integrated plans and resources created as part of the project. The EFC partners also worked to identify appropriate affordability metrics as it relates to integrated planning. This component of the project consisted of “office hours” to support permitting authorities and communities in growing these skills and/or making these assessments.
The UMD EFC developed multiple case studies based on input from the virtual convenings about information gaps with the integrated planning process. The case studies focus on each community’s motivation to complete an integrated plan and the benefits that the community and state regulators receive from plan implementation. The UMD EFC also researched the costs and funding sources used to complete integrated plans. The final product of the case studies will involve a specific look into how communities addressed affordability concerns, equity issues, sequenced project timing, and estimated costs savings by looking at wastewater and stormwater holistically during the creation of the plan.
Interested in integrated planning and need help getting started? Use the EFC Integrated Planning Roadmap tool to find resources specific to your community’s needs.
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