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Calculated Cost

screenshot of circular calculated cost graphic

Key performance measure (Single Utility Comparison)  Displays the calculated cost of the utility selection for the selected service and consumption level 
Key performance measure (Expanded Comparison)  Displays the average calculated cost of all utilities within the selection group for the selected service and consumption level 
Ranges
  • Lower bound: lowest calculated cost found within the comparison group for the selected service and level of consumption 
  • Upper bound: highest calculated cost found within the comparison group for the selected service and level of consumption 
Colors
  • Red: Top and bottom 10% of calculated costs within the selected comparison group (0-10th percentiles, 90th-100th percentiles) 
  • Gray: 10th-25th percentiles and 75th-90th percentiles of calculated costs within the selected comparison group 
  • Green: Middle 50% of calculated costs within the selected comparison group (25th-75th percentiles) 

Median Affordability

screenshot of median affordability graphic

Key performance measure (Single Utility Comparison)  Displays the median affordability of the utility selection for the selected service and consumption level 
Key performance measure (Expanded Comparison)  Displays the average median affordability of all utilities within the selection group for the selected service and consumption level 
Ranges 
  • Lower bound: lowest median affordability found within the comparison group for the selected service and level of consumption 
  • Upper bound: highest median affordability found within the comparison group for the selected service and level of consumption 

Conservation Signal

screenshot of Conservation Signal graphic

Key performance measure (Single Utility Comparison)  Displays the conservation signal of the utility selection 
Key performance measure (Expanded Comparison)  Displays the average conservation signal of all utilities within the selection group 
Ranges 
  • Lower bound: lowest conservation signal found within the comparison group 
  • Upper bound: highest conservation signal found within the comparison group 

Operating Ratio

screenshot of Expanded Operating Ratio graphic

screenshot of Operating Ratio graphic

Key performance measure (Single Utility Comparison)  Displays the operating ratio of the utility selection 
Key performance measure (Expanded Comparison)  Displays the average operating ratio of all utilities within the selection group 
Ranges 
  • Lower bound: lowest operating ratio found within the comparison group 
  • Upper bound: highest operating ratio found within the comparison group 
Colors 
  • Red: Indicates both high (over 2) and low (less than 1) operating ratios 
  • Gray: Indicates operating ratios near the low and high ranges (1-1.2 and 1.8-2) 
  • Green: Indicates operating ratios safely within the “normal” range (1.2-1.8) 
QLIK Basics

Click below to see more detailed information about using Qlik to visualize data.

Single Utility Comparison and Utility Focus
screenshot of single selection form element

Single Selections allow for one selected item which is applied to the entire sheet.

For this example, Atlanta is used as the primary selection, and its combined rates are displayed. Atlanta’s planning region is used for comparisons.

 

screenshot of gallon-based slider element 
screenshot of percentage increase slider element

Sliders allow a single numerical value to be selected. The gallon slider determines which consumption level is used for all calculated costs displayed on the sheet. The app will start with 5,000 gallons, but consumption levels from 0 to 15,000 gallons can be set using this slider.

 

The rate increase percentage slider is used to adjust calculated costs. The app will start with a zero value, but any value from 0 to 150 percent can be set using this slider.

graphic of step forward and back elements

The step back button undoes previous selections and slider changes. The step forward button reverses the step back button.

key performance indicators element

Key Performance Indicators (KPI) display information based on the single utility selection. KPIs labeled with “Average” display an average value from the selected utility’s planning region or all utilities statewide. Other KPIs display information for the selected utility. When no utility selection has been made, the native KPI state is to display a null value or a count, sum, or average of all utilities statewide.

Expanded Comparison

Primary Selection Filters are used to select desired areas, rate structures, water sources, and ownership types for primary calculations. These filters affect the primary selection KPIs and measures within the comparison bars.

image of dropdown primary selection element

Users can select any number of items in the filter bars. The new filters can be confirmed using the check mark.

The above example adjusts the primary KPIs to the following:


 

image of utility search selection element

Users can also search for desired values (left). 

Selecting a filter value will affect the available options in other filters within the Primary Selection Bar. For example, with the Appling County filter applied, there are only three utilities available to select. Selecting one of these utilities would further limit the scope of information displayed on the page, and only information for the selected utility would be shown (right).

image of search with focused options


 

Users can clear filters by deselecting individual items from a variable’s drop-down menu or using a clear selection button. The clear selection button at the top of a variable’s drop-down menu clears all filters for that variable. The clear selection button at the top of the sheet clears filters for all variables.

image of clear selection element

The Expanded Comparison Sheet allows for primary selection filters to be applied through the map. Users can select individual utilities and counties or select an area of utilities through the lasso and circle selection options.

Comparison Selection Filters on the Expanded Comparison sheet function similarly to the primary selection filters, but these selections are applied to the comparison bars’ colors and ranges, as well as the bar charts.

screenshot of comparison filter elements

Above, the primary selection is the Atlanta utility, and the comparison selection is the Metro Water District planning region. The Atlanta utility filter is applied to the key performance measure. The Metro Water District filter is used to calculate the ranges on the comparison bars, and it limits which utilities are shown in the bar chart.

image of bar chart filtering options

Comparison selections can also be made by filtering through bar charts. Users can select a range of values by dragging along the x axis. The bounds of these ranges can be edited through the value displays before they are confirmed.

Above, the initial selected range of connections was approximately 78,000 to 175,000, but the upper bound was changed by typing the desired value and hitting enter. The new comparison group is comprised of previously selected comparison utilities that have connection counts between 78,464 and 100,000. Axis selection is the only way to filter the comparison group by the number of connections or the median household income.

image of bar chart individual selection options

Users can also select utilities through the charts by clicking on the bars individually.

The Selection Bar is used to track all filters.

selection bar graphic

The step back button undoes previous filter changes. The step forward button reverses the step back button. The clear all selections button deletes all filters applied to the sheet. Each selection option operates in the same way as any filter selection elsewhere on the sheet making adjustments easier to manage.

Glossary
Allowance Cost Customer's cost for an initial volume of water allowed before accumulating additional charges
Allowance Volume Volume of water allowed before additional charges; covered by the allowance cost
Base Rate Amount charged for receiving service regardless of water/sewer usage amount
Calculated Cost Cost based on selected number of gallons and a utility's rate structure for each service type (water, sewer, or combined)
Connection Point where a water meter indicates a line of service to a customer
Median Household Income (MHHI)
  • Household income: Includes pretax cash income of the householder and all other people 15 years old and older in the household, whether or not they are related to the householder 
  • Median: The point that divides the household income distribution into halves, one-half with income above the median and the other with income below the median. The median is based on the income distribution of all households, including those with no income
Operating Ratio Operating revenues divided by operating expenses
Ownership Type

Ownership of the Utility System:

  • Community Water System: A public water system that supplies water to the same population of at least 25 people year-round 
  • Non-Transient Non-Community System: A public water system that regularly supplies water to at least 25 of the same people at least six months per year. Some examples are schools, factories, office buildings, and hospitals which have their own water systems 
  • Transient Non-Community System: A public water system that provides water in a place such as a gas station or campground where people do not remain for long periods of time 
Planning Region Group of utilities with common council, plans, and goals to identify management practices appropriate to the resources and users in each region
Primary Source

Primary source of water for the utility system:

  • Ground Water: System has a groundwater source not under the direct influence of surface water (ex: protected wells) and no surface water sources 
  • Ground Water Purchased: System purchases water that originates from a groundwater source not under the direct influence of surface water (ex: protected wells) and no surface water sources 
  • Ground Water Under the Influence of Surface Water: System has a groundwater source under the direct influence of surface water (ex: unprotected well or springs) and no surface water sources 
  • Surface Water: System has a surface water source (ex: river, reservoir) 
  • Surface Water Purchased: System purchases water that originates from a surface water source (ex: river, reservoir) 
Rate Structure

Payment rate structure used to calculate costs for varying levels of water consumption. Often considers number of units used by the consumer:

  • Increasing Block: Unit price of each succeeding block of usage is charged at a higher unit rate than the previous blocks 
  • Decreasing Block: Unit price of each succeeding block of usage is charged at a lower unit rate than the previous blocks 
  • Increasing/Decreasing Block: Rates increase over an initial range and decrease over subsequent ranges, or vice versa 
  • Non-Volumetric Flat Fee: One price for all consumers regardless of individual water usage 
  • Tiered Flat Fees: One price based on water consumption with different tiers of service 
  • Uniform at One Block’s Rate: Consumer pays one rate per unit, but that rate is determined by their total usage 
  • Uniform Rate: Constant per unit cost
Services
  • Water: Service that provides clean water 
  • Sewer: Service that collects and treats wastewater 
  • Combined: Information for all water and sewer services provided by the utility
Service Population Estimated population served by the utility
Utility Public utility system that provides water and/or sewer services
Watershed Land area that channels rainfall, snowmelt, and runoff into a common body of water (ex: reservoirs, bays)