1.	BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Description of Business - Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. and subsidiaries (collectively referred to as “ADS” or the “Company”), incorporated in Delaware, designs, manufactures and markets high performance thermoplastic corrugated pipe and related water management products, primarily in North and South America and Europe. ADS’s broad product line includes corrugated high density polyethylene (or “HDPE”) pipe, polypropylene (or “PP”) pipe and related water management products.

The Company is managed based primarily on the geographies in which it operates and reports results of operations in two reportable segments: Domestic and International.

Historically, sales of the Company’s products have been higher in the first and second quarters of each fiscal year due to favorable weather and longer daylight conditions accelerating construction activity during these periods. Seasonal variations in operating results may also be impacted by inclement weather conditions, such as cold or wet weather, which can delay projects.

Basis of Presentation - The Company prepares its Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). The Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of March 31, 2018 was derived from audited financial statements included in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended March 31, 2018 (“Fiscal 2018 Form 10-K”). The accompanying unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements contain all adjustments, of a normal recurring nature, necessary to present fairly its financial position as of June 30, 2018 and the results of operations and cash flows for the three months ended June 30, 2018. The interim Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements should be read in conjunction with the audited Consolidated Financial Statements, including the notes thereto, filed in the Company’s Fiscal 2018 Form 10-K.

Principles of Consolidation - The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements include the Company, its wholly-owned subsidiaries, its majority-owned subsidiaries and variable interest entities (“VIEs”) of which the Company is the primary beneficiary. The Company uses the equity method of accounting for equity investments where it exercises significant influence but does not hold a controlling financial interest. Such investments are recorded in Other assets in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and the related equity earnings from these investments are included in Equity in net loss (income) of unconsolidated affiliates in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Recent Accounting Guidance

Recently Adopted Accounting Guidance

Revenue Recognition - In May 2014, the FASB issued an accounting standards update (“ASU”) which amends the guidance for revenue recognition. This amendment contains principles that will require an entity to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of goods and services to customers at an amount that an entity expects to be entitled to in exchange for goods or services. The amendment sets forth a new revenue recognition model that requires identifying the contract, identifying the performance obligations and recognizing the revenue upon satisfaction of performance obligations. In August 2015, the FASB issued an additional accounting standards update that deferred the effective date of the new revenue standard for public entities to periods beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted but not earlier than the original effective date of periods beginning after December 15, 2016. There have also been various additional accounting standards updates issued by the FASB in 2016 that further amend this new revenue standard. The updated standard permits the use of either the retrospective or cumulative effect transition method. The Company adopted these standards on April 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective transition method. See “Note 3. Revenue Recognition” for further information on the adoption of the revenue recognition ASU.

Cash Flow Classification - In August 2016, the FASB issued an ASU which provides amended guidance on the classification of certain cash receipts and cash payments in the statement of cash flows, including related to debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, contingent consideration payments made after a business combination, proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims, proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance and distributions received from equity method investees. This update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those years, and early adoption is permitted. This amended guidance must be applied retrospectively to all periods presented, but may be applied prospectively if retrospective application would be impracticable. The Company adopted this update effective April 1, 2018 using the retrospective method. The new standard did not have a material impact on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Goodwill Impairment - In January 2017, the FASB issued an ASU which removes the requirement to compare the implied fair value of goodwill with its carrying amount as part of step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. As a result, under the standards update, an entity should perform its annual, or interim, goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount and should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. The amendments are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019. Early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. The Company adopted this update effective April 1, 2018. The new standard did not have an impact on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Definition of a Business - In January 2017, the FASB issued an ASU to clarify the definition of a business. The definition of a business affects many areas of accounting including acquisitions, disposals, goodwill, and consolidation. The amendments are intended to help companies and other organizations evaluate whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. The amendments provide a more robust framework to use in determining when a set of assets and activities is a business. The amendments are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those periods. The Company adopted this update effective April 1, 2018. The new standard did not have an impact on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Stock-Based Compensation - In May 2017, the FASB issued an ASU to clarify when modification accounting should be applied for changes to the terms or conditions of share-based payment awards. The amendments clarify that modification accounting guidance should only be applied if there is a change to the value, vesting conditions, or award classification and would not be required if the changes are considered non-substantive. The amendments are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those periods. The Company adopted this update effective April 1, 2018. The new standard did not have an impact on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Recent Accounting Guidance Not Yet Adopted

Leases - In February 2016, the FASB issued an ASU which amends the guidance for leases. This standard contains principles that will require an entity to recognize most leases on the balance sheet by recording a right-of-use asset and a lease liability, unless the lease is a short-term lease that has an accounting lease term of twelve months or less. The standard also contains other changes to the current lease guidance that may result in changes to how entities determine which contractual arrangements qualify as a lease, the accounting for executory costs such as property taxes and insurance, as well as which lease origination costs will be capitalizable. The new standard also requires expanded quantitative and qualitative disclosures. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those years, and early adoption is permitted. The standard requires the use of the modified retrospective transition method, whereby the new guidance will be applied at the beginning of the earliest period presented in the financial statements of the period of adoption. The modified retrospective transition approach includes certain practical expedients that entities may elect to apply in transition. The Company expects to adopt this standard effective April 1, 2019. The Company has implemented a new software solution to improve the process of tracking and accounting for leases under the current and new standards. The Company has not yet determined whether to apply any of the available practical expedients. The Company is in the process of reviewing contracts under the new standard to determine the impact the new standard will have on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Measurement of Credit Losses - In June 2016, the FASB issued an ASU which provides amended guidance on the measurement of credit losses on financial instruments, including trade receivables. This standard requires the use of an impairment model referred to as the current expected credit loss model. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those years, and early adoption is permitted for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. The Company expects to adopt this standard effective April 1, 2020. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Hedge Accounting – In August 2017, the FASB issued an ASU which expands an entity’s ability to apply hedge accounting for non-financial and financial risk components and provides a simplified approach for fair value hedging of interest rate risk. The standard also refines how entities assess hedge effectiveness. This standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those years, and early adoption is permitted. The Company expects to adopt this standard effective April 1, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the impact of this standard on the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

With the exception of the pronouncements described above, there have been no new accounting pronouncements issued or adopted since the filing of the Fiscal 2018 Form 10-K that have significance, or potential significance, to the Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.