Water Companies & Utilities – Industry Research, Analysis, Statistics, and Forecasts

SIC 4941 | NAICS 2213

This free online guide to industry research and analysis provides sources for industry statistics, trends, and forecasts, financial ratios, salary surveys, and more.

See the following sections listed below to view available resources by category:

Industry Analysis, Statistics, Trends, and Forecasts

Financial Statements and Financial Ratios

Compensation and Salary Surveys

BV Guides and Databases

For guides to other industries, see our index of over 400 industries.

Industry Analysis, Statistics, Trends, and Forecasts

Industry Research Reports
Water Supply Systems (view report)
Sewage Treatment Facilities (view report)

Comprehensive industry research reports provide in-depth industry analysis and five-year forecasts, with special focus on the underlying structure and external forces and relationships that affect industries and their performance. Topics addressed in the reports include:

Market size and major product and service segments
Key industry statistics, trends, and financial ratios
Operating conditions and current performance
Competitive landscape and environment
Major company profiles and market shares
Five-year outlook and growth forecasts

Sample report and selected industry statistics including market size, five-year average growth rate, number of businesses, and total employment are available free online.

Environmental Business International, Inc.
Waterview Report
https://ebionline.org/

Comprehensive report analyzes the current state and future of the water and wastewater industries, with topics addressed in the report including industry trends and strategies, analysis of markets and end-users, water rights and wholesaling, productivity and information technology, treatment works and equipment, and profiles of leading suppliers. Detailed table of contents is available free online.

American Waterworks Association
Publications available from this trade association include:

Journal AWWA
http://www.awwa.org/
Monthly magazine features news and information for the water and wastewater industry, with topics covered in the magazine including industry developments, management practices, emerging issues, treatment processes, distribution systems, infrastructure, customer service, and regulatory matters. Selected feature articles from current and past issues of this publication can be viewed free online.

AWWA State of the Industry Report
http://www.awwa.org/
Annual survey identifies and explores significant challenges facing the industry and provides users with data and analysis to help them in developing strategies to deal with these issues, with topics covered in the report including current health, issues facing participants, resources management, system stewardship, communications with the public, regulatory concerns, and workforce issues.

Mazars USA LLP
U.S. Industry Outlook
https://mazarsusa.com/

Annual survey provides insights into the perspectives of water professionals and stakeholders from both an operational and financial standpoint, with topics covered in the report including water supply, aging of infrastructure, key revenue and operating cost drivers, rate increases, financing availability, challenges facing participants, role of technology, and primary drivers for investments in technology.

BizMiner Market Analysis Reports
Water Supply Systems / Sewage Treatment Facilities
https://www.bizminer.com Search for "2213" to see available reports

Market analysis reports provide industry statistics for a user-defined area on a national, state, county, metro area, or zip code level, with data provided including number of companies, market volume and sales trends, average company sales, sales per employee, staffing and employment trends, average employee wage, and business start up activity and failure rates. Sample report can be viewed online.

More industry research reports »

Financial Statements and Financial Ratios

BizMiner Industry Financial Ratios
Water Supply Systems / Sewage Treatment Facilities

https://www.bizminer.com Search for "2213" to see available reports

Five-year financial statement analysis reports provide income statements, balance sheets, and key industry financial ratios for companies of all sizes, with financial data available by sales size range on a national, state, and metropolitan area level including:

Income and expenses in dollars and percentages
Balance sheets in dollars and percentages
Profitability and return on investment ratios
Liquidity and working capital ratios
Asset turnover and efficiency ratios
Capital structure and debt service ratios

Sample financial statement and ratio analysis report is available free online.

Industry Research Reports
Water Supply Systems and Sewage Treatment Facilities

(see links for individual reports) (sample spreadsheet)

Key statistics section of these reports provides detailed income statements and balance sheets on a common-size basis and over twenty-five industry financial ratios, with financial ratios provided for the each of the four most recent calendar years and on a historical average basis for 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year time periods. Sample spreadsheet with breakdowns by asset size can be viewed free online.

American Waterworks Association
Benchmarking Performance Indicators: Survey Data and Analysis Report
http://www.awwa.org/

Benchmarking survey allows users to compare their organization's performance with other similar organizations, with financial benchmarks covered in the survey including operating ratio, return on assets, cash reserve in days, debt service coverage ratio, and operating and maintenance costs for water and sewage operations by customer account, millions of gallons, and 100 miles of pipe.

More financial benchmarking data »

Compensation and Salary Surveys

American Waterworks Association
Compensation Surveys
http://www.awwa.org/

Individual compensation surveys for large, medium, and small water and wastewater utilities provide detailed information on salaries, salary ranges, and compensation practices for these organizations, with compensation data filterable by type of ownership or management, utility services provided (i.e., water only, combined services), total number of customers served, and total number of employees.

ERI Economic Research Institute
Utilities Salary Survey
https://www.erieri.com/

Annual salary survey provides base salary, incentive/variable pay, and total direct compensation data for personnel employed by water and sewage treatment facilities, with job titles covered by the survey including utilities superintendant; water treatment plant manager, operator, and tender; meter installer and repairer; sewage treatment plant operator and attendant; and maintenance manager and worker.

More compensation surveys »

BV Guides and Databases

BVMarketData
Private Company Sales Transaction Databases
https://www.bvresources.com/

Free "Visitor Search" allows users to search the DealStats, BIZCOMPS, and FactSet/BVR databases for private company sales transaction data by SIC or NAICS Code using the following codes:

– SIC Code 4941 - Water Supply

– NAICS Code 2213 - Water and Sewage Systems

Types of establishments included in these codes

Water supply systems - establishments engaged in operating water collection, treatment, and distribution systems that provide water from sources such as rivers, lakes, aquifers, or reservoirs, to end users, including residential, commercial, and industrial customers.

Water filtration plants - establishments primarily engaged in operating facilities designed to remove impurities through various processes such as sedimentation, distillation, and filtration to make water safe for human consumption or for use in industrial processes.

Water treatment plants - establishments engaged in utilizing various processes, such as screening, aeration, coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, disinfection, and chemical treatments, to remove pollutants, pathogens, and other harmful substances.

Water distribution systems - establishments engaged in operating networks of pipelines, pumping stations, control valves, storage tanks, and related facilities used to transport water to end consumers, including residential, commercial, and industrial customers.

Irrigation system operators - establishments focused on the operation and maintenance of irrigation infrastructure, such as canals, ditches, pipes, and sprinkler or drip systems, used to provide water for crop fields, orchards, golf courses, and other irrigated areas.

Sewer systems - establishments that employ networks of pipes and pumping stations to collect and transport sewage and wastewater from domestic, commercial, or industrial sources to treatment facilities that will dispose of the wastewater and residual sludge.

Sewage treatment plants - establishments employing various treatment processes, such as physical, chemical, and biological treatments, to remove pollutants, pathogens, and contaminants to make wastewater safe for discharge into the environment or for reuse.

Sewage disposal plants - establishments that receive treated wastewater from treatment plants and handle its disposal through various methods such as discharge into rivers or lakes, land application, ocean outfalls, or reuse for irrigation or non-potable purposes.

Sample reports with detailed sales transaction data and valuation multiples are available free online.

Hayward Consulting Group
Resources available from this organization include:

Valuing A Water Utility, 3rd Edition
David L. Hayward, Infinity Publishing Company, 2013
http://haywardconsultinggroup.com/
Comprehensive guide covers the approaches applicable to valuing regulated utilities, with topics covered in the guide including legal and financial framework, basics of regulation and ratemaking, small utility issues, analyzing historical performance, estimating economic benefits, capitalization and discount rates, and valuation methods and procedures. Table of contents is available online.

FinMod Valuation Model
http://haywardconsultinggroup.com/
Excel-based model analyzes the value of a utility using 12 different valuation methods, with methods used in the model including enterprise discounted cash flow; capitalized earnings (no, constant, and variable growth); original, replacement, and composite cost less depreciation; economic profit; and market transaction based (dollars per customer, capital/EBITDA, sales/EBITDA, and capital/EBIT).

More valuation data »

Related Industries:
Environmental Consulting Firms
Environmental Remediation Services
Testing Laboratories
Waste Collection and Disposal

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