Award Winners
Western Virginia Water Authority
2016 Sustainable Water Utility Management Award
Western Virginia Water Authority’s fiscal policy includes a rate structure that provides for reliable daily operations, continued infrastructure replacement and a healthy financial standing to allow it to fund long-term capital projects and reserve accounts. Long-term sustainability also includes protecting current water supplies, planning for future sources and identifying leaks that can lead to non-revenue water. Current water supplies are protected by best management practices and conservation easements while water infrastructure projects are nearing completion to connect to the Authority’s future source of water. Community outreach includes educational programs offered for all school-aged students, recreational opportunities and a close relationship with local economic development organizations.
Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility
2015 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility embraces continuous improvement. New metrics enhance its management toolbox – quantifying pipeline break statistics, equipment performance, employee engagement and customer satisfaction. The utility tracks employee suggestions, public concerns, capital investment decisions and other actions to maintain public accountability and transparency. Staff development is promoted throughout the utility. Reliable infrastructure, responsible finances and professional service promote public health and protect the environment.
Aurora Water
2015 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
Aurora Water strives for excellence through development of an integrated water master plan, key divisional reorganizations, a new compensation model and extensive performance metrics. Two of its treatment facilities earned Phase IV Excellence in Water designations from the Partnership for Safe Drinking Water. Aurora Water’s potable reuse system provides the foundation for the first regional water-sharing partnerships of its kind. Its energy master plan outlines clear-cut goals to guarantee it is conducting business responsibly.
Austin Water
2015 Sustainable Water Utility Management Award
In the face of historic drought, Austin Water strengthened its conservation programs and drought management plan, and by FY 2014 per capita water use was the lowest in decades.The utility has structured rates and fees to incentivize conservation and address affordability. It has moved to cover more fixed costs; created drought surcharges and a revenue stability reserve fund and surcharge; and instituted operational efficiencies to cut costs. The utility partners with stakeholders to develop policies reflective of community values, and community engagement has never been higher.
Bellevue Utilities
2015 Sustainable Water Utility Management Award
Bellevue Utilities meets its mission using tools including audits, surveys, benchmarking and continuous improvement programs. Performance measures are tracked to gauge effectiveness, efficiency and workload. A financially self-supporting enterprise, it is comprised of four lines of business: drinking water, wastewater, storm and surface water, and solid waste. Each is a stand-alone business that must be financially sustainable. Bellevue Utilities’ long-term commitment to sustainability and environmental protection is demonstrated through successful public education and outreach programs.
Boston Water and Sewer Commission
2015 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
Boston Water and Sewer Commission’s asset management approach, combined with an active leak detection and flushing program, dramatically reduced water pipe failures and produced a drop in unbilled water from 48 percent to 14 percent. Installation of automatic meter readers increased customer satisfaction and allowed for billing based on actual usage. Programs are in place to assist ratepayers when an emergency occurs with their personal sewer or water line. IT infrastructure improvement is ongoing to become more proactive and limit costs to ratepayers.
Central Arkansas Water
2015 Sustainable Water Utility Management Award
Sustainable utility water management is integral to Central Arkansas Water. The utility has assured rate stability and established dedicated funds for watershed protection. Implementation of a comprehensive watershed management plan involved close collaboration with private property owners and governmental partners and assures a high-quality drinking water supply. The utility also quantified its pipeline replacement needs, increased energy efficiency, implemented recycling programs and removed hazardous materials from sensitive areas.
Charlotte Water
2015 Sustainable Water Utility Management Award
An early managed competition leader, Charlotte Water transitioned into continuous improvement through benchmarking, re-engineering and embracing quality programs.The utility holds corporate ISO environmental and quality certifications, participates in Partnership for Safe Water and has strong, active stakeholder partnerships. Triple A bond ratings by the three major rating agencies underscore the utility’s strength.Revenue stability and predictability, fairness to customers and full cost recovery are the focus of a 10-year financial planning horizon, and increases in the fixed portion of rates improve sustainability.
Chesterfield County Utilities Department
2015 Sustainable Water Utility Management Award
Chesterfield County Utilities Department’s annual performance plan tracks over 100 annual and historic performance measures from virtually every work center. The Department improves its strong financial position through competitive rates that adequately recover costs, while providing for reserves and future needs, thereby maintaining a Triple AAA bond rating and ensuring future stability. Striving to be efficient and environmentally conscious in all aspects of operations, the Department has implemented process improvement initiatives including reducing natural gas consumption, potable water usage and energy/chemical consumption.
Contra Costa Water District
2015 Sustainable Water Utility Management Award
Contra Costa Water District keeps local watersheds ecologically healthy, which ensures access to untreated water of high quality to process through its state-of-the-art water treatment plants, optimizing chemical and energy use. Significant investments in water use efficiency projects have helped reduce total water use by over 30 percent. The District is balancing operating expenditures, revenues and debt service, investing in infrastructure assets, controlling operations and maintenance expenditures and increasing water quality and customer service levels.
Denver Water
2015 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
Denver Water is becoming a “Lean” organization, and process improvements made by employees have resulted in over $5 million of savings. Operating costs are trending down, the total number of injuries has dropped 26 percent and unplanned customer-outage hours have decreased 32 percent. It helped initiate collaboration among Colorado River stakeholders and has a scenario approach to water supply planning, capital budgeting and long-range financial planning. The utility is redeveloping its operating campus to increase efficiency, provide better customer service, and create an attractive workplace. For emergency planning it has completed a fully redundant disaster-recovery facility and disaster-specific plans.
East Bay Municipal Utility District
2015 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
The East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) has completed a $482 million project to deliver supplemental water supplies, greatly improving resiliency. Its Business Continuity Program minimizes disruptions of critical business functions and enhances its capability to recover operations expediently following an event that causes business interruptions. The program includes preparing plans, conducting training and exercises, completing mitigation activities and performing outreach efforts. EBMUD proactively replaces pipelines to maintain high reliability and customer service. Its replacement rate will double from 7.5 miles per year to 15 miles in FY 2016 and will continue to increase to about 40 miles per year in 2025-2035.