To:	Members & Affiliates
From:	National Office
Date:	June 8, 2000
Subject:	1999 AMSA Financial Survey
Reference:	MU 00-4

AMSA is pleased to provide you with a complimentary copy of The 1999 AMSA Financial Survey: A National Survey of Municipal Wastewater Management Financing and Trends.

Survey Proves Invaluable to Decision-makers
The survey serves as a valuable tool to help decision-makers identify and respond to funding trends impacting publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) across the country. By providing a financial snapshot of municipal wastewater agencies across the country, local, state and federal policy-makers can gain insight into what it will take to meet current and future clean water challenges — such as accommodating population growth, meeting stricter regulations and managing ever-rising costs. Budgetary challenges at all levels of government continue to limit the financial resources available for water quality initiatives.

Since its inception in 1981 the AMSA Financial Survey has been an useful resource for public wastewater agencies in charting trends and identifying agencies of similar size and type. This “apples to apples” comparison is extremely useful in performance benchmarking and setting goals for improvement.

1999 Survey Tracks POTWs Trends
As in the past, the 1999 Financial Survey addresses user charges, operations and maintenance costs and changes, trends in rates and debt service. For the first time, the 1999 Survey also tracks staffing trends and offers more detailed information on the salaries of agency employees.

Several major trends are apparent in the 1999 Financial Survey, including overall increased efficiency and improved performance levels at agencies across the nation. The data also documents an increased reliance on user charges as the primary revenue source, and increased costs associated with repair and rehabilitation. According to the Survey results, more agencies are operating plants that are providing higher levels of treatment. The capacity of tertiary plants and the average daily flow treated to tertiary levels has increased dramatically since 1996, while staffing levels per 10,000 population served for the agencies that responded to the 1996 and 1999 Survey decreased.

Additional Copies Available
Additional copies of the 1999 Financial Survey can be purchased for $45 for AMSA members and $65 for nonmembers. To purchase additional copies, contact AMSA's National Office at 202/833-AMSA or visit www.amsa-cleanwater.org.