2011 SERVICE CHARGE INDEX
Page 3
Note: The ENR Cost Construction Index has been indexed to a value of $100 for 1985 to make annual change comparisons with the NACWA service charge index.
Projected Charges Show Steady Increases
Regional Data Provide More Complete Picture
More than 75 percent of respondents to the
Index
survey reported having approved or
planned rate increases for 2012, averaging
about 5 percent. Nearly half of the respondents
already have approved or planned rate increases
for 2013 to 2016 (
see Project Rate Increases2012-
2016 table on page 2
), indicating that many
communities are increasingly putting in place
long-term spending plans.
The results from the
NACWA Index Survey
continue to indicate a steady rise in the average
service charge over the next five years, with
annual charges approaching an average of $490
by 2015 and $522 by 2016. This rate of increase
is slightly lower than predicted in past surveys,
which may, in part, be in response to the
current economic conditions.
Regional level data, that better account for the
cost of living and other variables across the
country, often provide more accurate
benchmarks for utility managers. The
minimum and maximum values from each of
the ten U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Regions provide the range of values that make
up the national average annual service charge
of $390, with annual charges ranging from a
minimum of $77 for one community in Region
5 to a maximum of $1,000 for a community in
Region 9.
(see regional mapandregional variation
table on page 4).
Average Annual Sewer Service Charge 1985 - 2011