The Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) has received two major awards for its commitment to emergency preparedness and financial transparency.
 
For the fourth time in its eight-year history, CFPUA is the winner of the North Carolina American Water Works Association – Water Environment Federation’s (NC AWWA-WEA) Disaster Preparedness Award and, for the sixth straight year, CFPUA is the recipient of the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) Award for Distinguished Budget Presentation, the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting.
 
The NC AWWA-WEA Disaster Preparedness Award is presented to individuals and utilities in acknowledgment of “outstanding achievement in advancing disaster preparedness initiatives thereby strengthening preparedness and increasing the resolve to prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of natural disasters, man-made disasters, and acts of aggression against our locality, county, state, and nation.” This year, CFPUA was honored for holding a rare, full-scale emergency exercise and for its use of the ICWater Modeling and Impact Tool, which protects drinking water by providing real-time assessments of the travel and dispersion of contaminants in streams and rivers.
 
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) Award for Distinguished Budget Presentation is given to a governing body and its staff to “reflect their commitment to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting.” In order to receive the award, CFPUA had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. The guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity’s budget serves as: 1) a policy document; 2) a financial plan; 3) an operations guide; and 4) a communications device. Budgets must be rated “proficient” in all four categories to receive the award.
 
“Clearly communicating how we use our financial resources is crucial to building and maintaining public trust,” said John McLean, CFPUA’s CFO in a news release. “GFOA has yet again recognized CFPUA for our commitment to being open and accountable stewards of the funding we receive from our ratepayers.”