Arlington Water Utilities works to find operating efficiencies and reduce controllable costs all year long. In Fiscal Year 2017, that meant $2.7 million in savings for Arlington residents through a variety of initiatives. Here's a look at some of the FY 2017 savings from those cost-saving moves and the initiatives' continued impact.
$1,408,759 in savings through Texas Water Development Board grants and interest savings on low interest loans
The Texas Water Development Board awarded Arlington Water two Green Grants in 2017 for water treatment and sanitary sewer infrastructure projects. They totaled $1,277,638. In addition, the department was awarded $16.2 million in low interest loans from the TWDB in fiscal year 2017. Interest savings on those loans along with interest savings on low interest loans awarded by TWDB in previous fiscal years is expected total $551,994 in fiscal year 2018
$678,000 on project design costs
In fiscal year 2015, Arlington Water started an in-house design division for construction projects. Designing projects in-house allows projects to progress at a quicker pace. Compared to outsourcing the work, designing in-house also saves about $10 on each foot of main that is designed.
$643,433 in savings on right-of-way repairs
Arlington Water Utilities entered into an agreement in 2015 with Service Line Warranties of America to allow the company to manage repairs to sanitary service laterals in the public right-of-way. Department costs for managing these repairs, which are made by local plumbing contractors, had skyrocketed in previous years and were continuing to rise. The five-year contract also allows Service Line Warranties to offer a warranty program to Arlington residents that covers residents' private sewer and water lines.
In addition to programs already saving money, Arlington Water added a credit/debit card convenience fee in June 2017. The convenience fee is expected to save residents about $538,282 in the coming year on credit card fees previously paid by the department. The change allocates the cost of credit card processing to the residents who choose to use that method of payment. Customers can still pay by credit/debit card online and by phone and have numerous other options for payment, including automatic bank drafting.
Arlington Water also partners with other city departments to benefit residents. Some examples include better coordination with Arlington Public Works and Transportation to decrease paving costs, and educational outreach activities with the Arlington Public Library. In all, inter-departmental collaborations created a value of more than $6.2 million for residents this year.
To find out more about Arlington Water, visit the department website at www.arlingtontx.gov/water or, to find out about specific water and sewer projects, visit www.arlingtontx.gov/waterconstruction.
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