Award Winners
Spartanburg Water
2008 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
Through its continuous improvement program, Spartanburg Water became a strategy-focused organization. Benefits included a more knowledgeable, diversely skilled work force; streamlined management structure; increased service area and revenue base; improved customer service; expanded water supply to meet 100-year projections; reduced environmental compliance exposure; enhanced debt service coverage and reserve funding; improved bond ratings; and a more resilient organization.
Tualatin Valley Water District
2008 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
Tualatin Valley Water District adopted a 50-year water supply plan that ensures future water supplies for its fast growing service area. The Oregon utility also conducted a work force planning study, which put in place processes that will ensure a skilled and knowledgeable work force for the future, and implemented various sustainability initiatives and analyses regarding reduced carbon emissions, workplace efficiency opportunities and community involvement.
Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority
2007 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority built two water reclamation facilities and one high quality water treatment plant in recent years, all brought online on time and within budget. The utility recently celebrated one million hours without a lost-time work accident, and its dedication to safety has overflowed to all areas of operations. Employee participation in design teams on safety, employee morale, warehouse operations, GIS and human resources all contributed to the success of its competitiveness programs.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities
2007 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
In 1996, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities became the first public utility to compete with the private sector and successfully win the bid for operations and maintenance of one of its water treatment plants and one of its wastewater treatment plants. To encourage and acknowledge the employee commitment and creativity that is required for successful competition and optimization, the utility has a gainsharing policy that in recent years netted the utility’s ratepayers an estimated $7 million in cost reduction.
Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District
2007 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
In spite of peak summer demands that are more than five times winter demands, Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District has accomplished substantial efficiency improvements in staff size, organization, cost effectiveness of municipal and industrial water supply, reductions in per capita water use for increased efficiencies, and improvements in planned maintenance work. The utility also has established agreements with related agencies to develop creative and cost-effective water supplies, groundwater cleanup projects, water supply and capacity sharing, and water conservation campaigns.
Kansas City Board of Public Utilities
2007 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
The Kansas City Board of Public Utilities completed improvement initiatives including automation, a maintenance management system and laboratory information management system, a water distribution facility maintenance and Geographic Information System, a Kronos data collection system, bar code meter data entry system and a new Utility Vac System. The water system has rigorous guidelines for maintaining its bond ratings and has ongoing master planning and infrastructure replacement programs.
Madison Water Utility
2007 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Madison Water Utility conducted a competitive assessment in which every employee had an opportunity to participate in a facilitated self-assessment of the organization and to identify opportunities for improvement. The utility then embarked on a strategic plan to make improvements within six key business strategies, involving design teams made up of employees throughout the organization. Actively involved in all areas of conservation of resources from their new "green" office building, to materials recycling, to providing safe, quality water, the water system is also replacing its lead service lines to improve service to its customers.
Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority
2007 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Since 2004, the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority has undergone a radical renovation process which includes: de-privatization; a renovated relationship with its union; the first rate increase in 20 years; reorganization of operations and maintenance and first time implementation of an integrated preventive maintenance program; the adoption of technology as the main administrative tool; implementation of an aggressive $2.2 billion five-year Capital Improvement Plan; finalization of compliance agreements with regulatory agencies; issuance of bonds for the first time in 20 years; and a radical modification in client servicing.
Tacoma Water
2007 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
At Tacoma Water, competitiveness strategies are supported by planning efforts. The operations and maintenance budget and capital spending plan are reviewed by a team of managers from all sections who consider consistency with the utility’s priority of needs identified in its business plan and financial impacts from its financial model. The utility also implements strategic planning programs within the operating sections, emphasizing its commitment to providing the highest quality water in the most efficient manner possible.
Aurora Water
2006 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Aurora Water uses benchmarking, cross-training, leadership development and reorganization for improved efficiency to ensure high-quality water. Reorganization of its operations division resulted in a Design Build Award for renovation of one of its water treatment plants and a Land Stewardship Award for the other.Last year, both plants earned Partnership for Safe Water Director's Awards.
Birmingham Water Works and Sewer Board
2006 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
At the Birmingham Water Works and Sewer Board, comparative analysis using key benchmarks of performance, together with its Business Process Review Initiative, enabled the Board to improve the most important aspects of its business while restoring financial stability.Detailed departmental action plans support strategic goals, operating and business plans, and involve all staff in meeting customers' needs for safe, affordable water.
Chicago Department of Water Management
2006 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
In 2003, Chicago's Departments of Water and Sewers merged to become the Chicago Department of Water Management (DWM).DWM is unifying procedures, visions and goals, including a comprehensive approach to protecting the city's water resources and incorporating performance management to focus on water quality and customer satisfaction.Utilizing people, processes and technology, DWM has developed, streamlined and reengineered its processes.