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Clean Water Solutions – A Non-profit Collaboration Eden – DSSC - SERCAP

Clean Water Solutions is a collaboration of three non-profit organizations, working together to provide clean water solutions and sustainable management for under-resourced community wastewater systems.

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Clean Water Solutions – A Non-profit Collaboration Eden – DSSC - SERCAP

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  1. Clean Water Solutions –A Non-profit CollaborationEden – DSSC - SERCAP

  2. Clean Water Solutions • Clean Water Solutions is a collaboration of three non-profit organizations: EDEN Delmarva – DSSC - SERCAP • The goal of the initiative is to enable the consolidation of under-resourced community systems to a sole non-profit utility ownership structure through fundraising, technical assistance, and long term management.

  3. Background • There are approximately 165 Community Wastewater Systems in Delaware • About 80 of those are “cluster” septic systems where individual septic tanks are connected to a central drainfield • About 1/3 of these systems have experienced some kind of deficiency – either technical, financial or managerial • Most of these are privately-owned, and thus not eligible for grants

  4. Background • July 2015 to July 2016, representatives from a wide variety of stakeholder organizations met, under the aegis of USDA to discuss how to help these privately-owned failing “cluster” wastewater systems • The conclusion was that a non-profit, responsible management entity needed to be created • USDA, issued a Request for Information (RFI) and 3 non-profits responded • The committee felt that none of the responders could provide all that was needed and instead asked the 3 to form a partnership

  5. Organizational Roles • EDEN • Financial consulting, CRA funding conduit, fundraising efforts • DSSC • Non-profit utility owner-operator, capital improvement planning, debt servicing • SERCAP • Technical assistance, community advisement, system transition planning

  6. Since that first meeting in June… • The 3 collaborators began meeting weekly • A 2-year budget, pro forma and templates for asset transfer have been developed • Pro forma projects sustainable operations with a 10% reserve in each utility • Legal agreements have been executed between the collaborators • Additional startup financing has been pursued • A Collaborative Grant from the Delaware Community Foundation and CRA funds from Discover Bank have been received

  7. Since June… (continued) • An Executive Summary and Value Statement have been developed for dissemination to prospective communities and funders • A Rural Business Development Grant application has been awarded to help with startup costs • CWS has met with a number of VIP’s and legislators to garner support for future funding applications

  8. CWS Has met with… • The Public Service Commission staff to discuss tying the billing to existing water billing service • DNREC Financial Assistance Branch • USDA staff • Representatives of four targeted “cluster” communities • Other funders to identify additional opportunities

  9. The Results: • CWS calculation is that a grant to loan ratio of 70% : 30% will be necessary to keep rates down THREE of the targeted communities have already agreed to the transfer of system assets and one community’s board has passed a resolution to transfer those assets

  10. The Next steps • A CPCN application was filed with the PSC and DSSC became Delaware’s FIRST Non-Profit Utility • The 38-unit subdivision is Country Glen II • An engineering assessment will be conducted by DSSC via planning grant applications • Capital Improvement needs (if any) will be identified during this process

  11. The Next Steps (continued) The Next Steps (continued) • DSSC will submit an application to transfer the CPCN’s of two more cluster systems this year • CWS will apply for grants for planning and preliminary engineering for assessment and repair (capital projects) once the systems are under DSSC ownership as the eligible non-profit entity • CWS will seek funding for Capital Projects as they are identified and prioritized

  12. The Next Steps (continued) • CWS will approach additional cluster community systems as the earlier systems are running sustainably • User revenues from the first systems operating successfully will help to fund activities in the subsequent systems Success will breed success!

  13. In summary: • Additional funding has been verbally committed by two foundations, pending submission of formal applications • All funding so far has been from privatesources, except for 2 small USDA grants • Two more systems are ready and anxious to be relieved of their operational responsibility • To keep the user rates low CWS will need a grant to loan ratio of 70% : 30% • This concept has legs and is rolling along!

  14. In Summary: • DSSC will become the owner of two more existing systems in 2018 via a transfer of CPCN • CWS will pursue a petition from 50% of the property owners in a fourth subdivision to start the CPCN process there • CWS/DSSC will be pursuing its own office and office staff sometime in 2019, if not sooner

  15. Clean Water Solutions –A Non-profit CollaborationEden – DSSC - SERCAP

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