Virgin Valley

Better Communication, Quicker Consensus

The second case study of Virgin Valley Water District, Nevada, explores how they significantly improved communications with elected officials and reduced the amount of time spent in the public hearing process.

CHALLENGES

  • Short-staffed planning team
  • Community's rapid growth
  • Severe drought in 2010 caused community to rally
  • More responsive process for consultants and stakeholders
  • New approach helped them bring allies to resolve the District's water problems

RESULTS & BENEFITS

  • Better coordination with elected officials
  • Shorter board meetings because people can get their questions answered before the meeting
  • More efficient board meetings
  • More transparent and faster hearing process
  • District now has a clear financial plan for the next 10 years
"For financial modeling, I can't think of another tool that would be more helpful to any entity than Waterworth."
Virgin Valley Water Logo

Kevin Brown, General Manager

Virgin Valley Water District, Nevada

BACKGROUND

Our first case study (2018) of Virgin Valley Water District (VVWD) discussed how Waterworth helped VVWD to get off the "treadmill" of rate increases. The District had been using a different financial model for several years, but as the community expanded, it became increasingly difficult to manage. Waterworth provided the District with a more accurate, up-to-date, and easy-to-use financial model that allowed them to better plan for the future.

A CLEARER, LESS COSTLY TOOL

VVWD had spent over $60,000 for a rate study by consulting firm. When comparing that sum to the cost of using Waterworth, District staff were floored. Not only could Waterworth save the District tens of thousands of dollars in consulting fees, but it also offered significant value far beyond the cost of the software. Waterworth provided the District with a powerful, easy-to-use financial model that allowed them to better plan for the future.

THE EXACT SOLUTION THE DISTRICT HAD BEEN LOOKING FOR

Waterworth's insight helped Virgin Valley Water District to not only perform a detailed financial analysis, but to draft the District's new and detailed financial plan for years to come. They were able to make practical, data-driven, and community-responsive decisions that were backed up by a strong financial model. As the community's needs changed, Waterworth's flexible model could be easily adjusted to accommodate new data and changing scenarios.

SAVE TIME AND COMMUNICATE BETTER

Waterworth has also proven to be especially useful in the public hearing process. Prior to Waterworth, District staff and board members regularly engaged in multiple meetings for hours at a time. It was a hard and long road to reach consensus, especially when financial issues were on the table.

Now that the VVWD is using Waterworth, meetings have become considerably shorter. "They like to have a system in place so it is not hard to come to the board [for rate changes]," says Chief Financial Officer Wes Smith. "Our lawyers say that it is hard to get a financial model in front of the public that reflects what's in the best interest of the district – and it's easier to get the cash back to where it was, rather than to build it up."

WATERWORTH'S ROLE IN SUCCESSION PLANNING

Waterworth's expert consultant reports and detailed spreadsheets provide an ongoing view that is essential for succession planning in the District. The District's Chief Financial Officer, Wes Smith, notes that Waterworth has been invaluable in helping the District to manage its finances and plan for the future. "Waterworth is the best financial model we've ever used," says Smith. "It's easy to use, and it's easy to understand. It's a great tool for us to use to communicate with our board and our community."