Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

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Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Interim Unaudited Financial Information

The results for the interim periods shown in this report are not necessarily indicative of future financial results. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements include all adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position of the Trust as of September 30, 2019 and the results of its operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and its cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively. Such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature.

Principles of Consolidation and Basis of Presentation

The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and include our accounts and the accounts of our wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the annual financial statements and notes thereto included in the Trust’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, which was filed with the SEC on February 28, 2019. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been condensed or omitted from this report.

Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Financial Statements

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent asset and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of income and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Change in Accounting Estimate

Management evaluates its estimates on a routine basis. Effective July 1, 2019, the Trust revised the estimated useful lives of certain water service-related assets after its disaggregation of water service-related projects into sub classifications. The Trust purchased these water service-related assets from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019. Based on information gained from operations over this time period, management believes that these water service-related assets will benefit periods ranging from four to 15 years, beginning at the point the water service-related assets were originally placed in service.

The net book value of these water service-related assets at June 30, 2019, was not modified and is depreciated over the revised estimated useful lives of these assets. The effect of the change in estimated useful lives to depreciation expense, net
income and earnings per share for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 is presented in the table below (in thousands, except earnings per share):

Effect on income statement line items due to change in estimated useful lives Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019
Increase in depreciation and amortization expense $ 916    $ 916   
Decrease in net income $ (723)   $ (723)  
Decrease in net income per Sub-share Certificate — basic and diluted $ (0.09)   $ (0.09)  

Reclassifications

Certain financial information on the condensed consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2018 and condensed consolidated statements of income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 has been revised to conform to the current year presentation. These revisions include, but are not limited to, the classification of the tax like-kind exchange escrow from other assets to a separate balance sheet line item and certain expense items from one expense line item to another expense line item. Total assets and expenses were not affected by these reclassifications.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the same such amounts shown in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows (in thousands):
September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018
Cash and cash equivalents $ 249,881    $ 119,647   
Tax like-kind exchange escrow —    3,799   
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in the statement of cash flows $ 249,881    $ 123,446   

Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance

Leases

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842) which amended the existing lease accounting guidance to require lessees to recognize a right of use asset and lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms greater than twelve months. We adopted the new leasing standard and all related amendments on January 1, 2019. We elected the optional transition method provided by ASU No. 2018-11, “Leases (Topic 842): Targeted Improvements” and as a result, have not restated our condensed consolidated financial statements for prior periods presented. We also elected the practical expedients permitted under the transition guidance that retain the lease classification and initial direct costs for any leases that existed prior to adoption of the standard. In addition, we have not reassessed the accounting treatment of contracts entered into prior to adoption of the new lease guidance.

As of September 30, 2019, we have recorded right-of-use assets of $3.3 million and lease liabilities for $3.5 million primarily related to operating leases in connection with our administrative offices located in Dallas and Midland, Texas. The office lease agreements require monthly rent payments and expire in December 2025 and August 2022, respectively. Operating lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Operating lease cost for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019 was $0.2 million and $0.4 million, respectively.
Future minimum lease payments under these operating leases are as follows as of September 30, 2019 (in thousands):

2019 (excluding the nine months ended September 30)
$ 144   
2020 696   
2021 796   
2022 697   
2023 537   
Thereafter 1,067   
Total lease payments 3,937   
Less: imputed interest (466)  
Total operating lease liabilities $ 3,471   

Implementation Costs Incurred in Cloud Computing Arrangements
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, “Intangibles — Goodwill and Other — Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer’s Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract.” The ASU requires a customer in a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract to follow existing internal-use software guidance to determine which implementation costs to capitalize as an asset. The ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted, and may be applied retrospectively or as of the beginning of the period of adoption. The Trust adopted the guidance effective January 1, 2019. The adoption of the guidance did not have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.