5-Year Operating Plan

A Five-Year Plan shows what you plan to do with your water system in the next five years, and how you expect to do it. This differs from your long range plan as it allows for a greater focus on specific goals and also provides context for preparing your annual budget. It allows you to plan farther into the future, for projects that take longer to implement, as well as to avoid ignoring those components which are “out of sight, out of mind”. 

 

 

Above all else: Maintain Flexibility

You’ll find that sometimes the line between different expenditures (for example, the Replacement Reserve and the Construction Reserve) may not be completely clear cut. You may wish to retain specialist help or advice in setting up reserves. 

Templates & Tools

 

To help you create an Annual Operating Budget, you can complete Excel worksheets available at the Canadian Water Directory's Financial Best Practices web page:

Five Year Operating Plan Worksheet by the Sustainable Infrastructure Society

Five Year Operating Costs Worksheet by the Sustainable Infrastructure Society