AWWA ACE91101

This paper is one of four based on the AWWA book, Water Utility Accounting. The author provides an overview of the traditional approach to accounting and the accounting cycle, but expands the traditional approach to include financial planning and control as an integral and very important part of this cycle. After defining financial planning and control, the author discusses recordkeeping with particular attention to system of accounts, system of internal control, generally accepted accounting practices, and operational data for recordkeeping; differences for government owned utilities and investor owned utilities are explained. Reporting financial information consists of financial reports, management reports, and financial trend and ratio reports. Basic reporting principles and types of reports are described, and the typical contents of such reports are listed. Water Utility Accounting is AWWA publication order number 10007.