Effective Utility Management

New Resources For Effective Utility Management

A new management resource for water utilities, Effective Water and Wastewater Utility Management Case Studies, is now available.  The new publication is a companion document to Effective Utility Management: A Primer for Water and Wastewater Utilities.  It provides concrete examples and “how to” assistance for utility managers through profiles of four utilities that successfully applied the Primer concepts and tools to advance effective management practices and achieve long-term sustainability. 

The new case study document illustrates how four utilities used the Attributes and Keys, along with example measures and a self-assessment tool found in the Primer, to improve management operations, bring a crisp and cost effective focus to their initiatives, and supplement both their internal and external communications. Selected from a list of sixteen utilities from across the country, Columbus Water Works (Ga.), Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District (Wisc.), Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources (Ga.), and Massachusetts Water Resources Authority all faced a range of challenges in their management improvement efforts, and used the Primer concepts and tools to aid their efforts.

Overall, the experiences of the profiled utilities indicate that the Primer provides a highly cost effective and easy-to-implement set of tools and concepts for undertaking and improving upon existing utility management improvement efforts.

In addition to the case studies, there is a new interactive tool for using the Primer.  It is found on the online Resource Toolbox, a website that also contains links to key resources and tools.

Effective Utility Management Tools

On June 23, 2008, AMWA and five others associations representing the U.S. water and wastewater sector, in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), released a series of tools designed to help water and wastewater utilities advance effective management practices to achieve long-term sustainability. The tools are based on the 10 Attributes of Effectively Managed Utilities and five Keys to Management Success first identified in a report released by the group in May 2007.

The Effective Utility Management Collaborating Associations – the American Public Works Association (APWA), American Water Works Association (AWWA), Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), National Association of Water Companies (NAWC), the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and EPA –developed tools aimed at helping utilities assess their current operations and adopt best management strategies for improvement.

These tools include the Effective Utility Management Primer for Water and Wastewater Utilities that is designed to help water and wastewater utility managers make practical, systematic changes to achieve excellence in utility performance. It was produced by water and wastewater utility leaders who also developed a series of suggested Utility Performance Measures focused on the Attributes to help utilities establish a performance baseline and begin to measure their progress.

In addition, the group released an online Resource Toolbox that contains links to key resources and tools.

Background

AMWA and five other associations representing the U.S. water and wastewater sector, in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), released the Findings and Recommendations for a Water Utility Sector Management Strategy on May 8, 2007. Designed to advance effective utility management practices, the report culminated a 12-month effort focused on excellence in water and wastewater utility management.  Also released were support documents, including sample measures and resources and a fact sheet for utility managers.

"This initiative is an historic step forward in strengthening our partnership with the associations and the utilities they represent,” said Benjamin H. Grumbles the Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Water. “This continuing partnership will allow us to take a major step forward to recognize, reward and measure excellence in utility management to ensure that utility operations and infrastructure are sustainable. EPA looks forward to working with our partners to implement the recommendations put forward in this report.”
 
Formalized in a joint Statement of Intent issued in May 2006, the Effective Utility Management Collaborating Organizations – the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA), American Water Works Association (AWWA), American Public Works Association (APWA),   National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), National Association of Water Companies (NAWC), the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and EPA – appointed a steering committee of sixteen water utility leaders from across the country to develop recommendations for a joint water utility sector management strategy applicable to water, wastewater and combined water/wastewater utilities.
 
“Our utilities have a history of innovation and initiative,” noted WEF Executive Director Bill Bertera. “Sharing insights gained is especially important now when we need policymakers and ratepayers to make water infrastructure a higher priority.”
 
With input from two focus groups (see participants and agenda), the steering committee identified common challenges facing the water sector and explored barriers that can limit utilities from making management improvements. According to APWA Executive Director Peter B. King, the “single biggest challenge for public works professionals is sustaining infrastructure performance” adding that learning more about the challenges and barriers facing utilities “will help us more effectively promote innovative approaches to reduce costs and improve performance across utility operations.”
 
The report’s findings and recommendations, “provide excellent guidance for optimizing water system management,” said AMWA Executive Director Diane VanDe Hei. They include the definition of ten attributes of effectively managed utilities and keys to management success; developing a management “tool box” of training and other resources for interested utilities; and suggested sample performance measures to improve utility management across the sector.
 
The overall effort said NACWA Executive Director Ken Kirk has been productive and “underscores our industry’s commitment to continuously improve the way we manage our nation’s water and wastewater resources”. AWWA Executive Director Jack Hoffbuhr concurred and stressed that his organization would continue “its longstanding commitment to water providers by working with EPA and the other associations to extend this important work”.
 
Recommended next steps for the group include rolling out the strategy to the water industry; preparing a brief, stand-alone primer for water sector utility managers; continuing the collaboration among the seven organizations; and employing a continual improvement approach to the strategy’s implementation over time.
 
The announcement of the report’s release was made today by EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson during the 2007 National Clean Water Policy Forum in Washington, DC. A joint effort between WEF and NACWA, the three-day event brings together elected and appointed U.S. officials, government employees and water quality experts to discuss recent trends in U.S. environmental policy, legislation and regulation.


Effective Utility Management Primer for Water and Wastewater Utilities