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Knoxville Utilities Board

2001 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
The Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) provides electric, gas, water and wastewater service to 387,000 customers in East Tennessee. A successful traditional utility since 1939, KUB recognized in 1993 the need to adapt to the rapidly changing environment. KUB began to redefine itself around four corporate objectives: do the basics better; focus on the customer; be environmentally responsible; and serve the community's growth. Reorganization was undertaken along functional lines instead of by separate utility services. Employees focused on finding innovative ways to improve business processes and hold operating costs down through process improvement, re-engineering and organizational development. One innovative tool to improve service and efficiency is KUB's pilot water plant. A working scale model of the main plant, the pilot plant tests treatment processes and technologies for less money, in less time, and without risking the quality of the public water supply. The competitiveness strategy has paid off. KUB's 2002 budget marks the seventh consecutive budget without a rate increase, and operating cost per customer is actually four percent less than 10 years ago. KUB is proud of its efforts to improve service and hold rates down while continuing to maintain the integrity of its systems.

Las Vegas Valley Water District

2001 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD)
  • Largest municipal water purveyor in the state of Nevada serving over 890,000 individuals, plus over 30 million tourists per year.
  • 919 employees.
  • Annual operating budget exceeding $261 million.
  • LVVWD manages a local water system comprised of 35 reservoirs, 44 pumping stations, 2,771 miles of pipeline with a maximum capacity of 600 mgd.
Achievement Highlights: To meet the demands created by an expanding population, the LVVWD has committed itself to a rigorous and comprehensive program of continuous improvement. LVVWD's team environment fosters creative and innovative solutions, which are reinforced through employee recognition activities such as the General Manager's Five-Star Award, Leader of the Pack Award, Spotlight on Excellence Program, and other tools. Intra-divisional teams, such as the Maintenance Improvement Team, use technology, flexible work schedules, new processes and organizational strategy as tools to solve preventative and predictive maintenance issues. They are also used to find creative solutions to increase efficiency and enhance service levels. Cross-functional teams make use of neutral facilitators to guide the team through the process and ensure all participants have an opportunity to contribute. To date, eight American Productivity Quality Center process improvement led teams have implemented recommendations, providing the District with over $5.3 million in net program savings. The LVVWD also leverages technological advancements to foster improvements in efficiency and customer service. For instance, Meter Services has an Automated Meter Reading (AMR) strategy to improve service to our large Las Vegas strip hotel and casino customers while the Production Division is refining a Computerized Maintenance Management System to centralize coordination between shops, customers and support groups. The LVVWD engages in benchmarking and simulated competitive exercises to assess competitiveness, set minimum performance and proficiency standards and set stretch goals. Internal benchmarking for activities unique to LVVWD make use of recent innovations in reliability-centered maintenance, failure mode analysis and continuous time-in-motion studies. Local residents participate through a variety of mechanisms, including citizen advisory committees, customer surveys, workshops and public events. Customer satisfaction is continuous monitored through the use of customer contact cards, web-based comments, customer surveys and public outreach events. Our goal in seeking community participation is threefold: to increase community awareness; discover innovative, mutually beneficial solutions; and become a more open and transparent stakeholder in water resource issues.

Little Rock Municipal Water Works

2001 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Little Rock Municipal Water Works
  • Service population of approximately 360,000, and approximately 80,000 metered customers, including three other municipalities as master-metered customers.
  • 203 employees.
  • $22.2-million annual budget.
  • Current treatment capacity of 124 mgd.
  • System includes two water supplies, Lake Winona and Lake Maumelle; two treatment facilities; Jackson Reservoir, which serves as a regulating and emergency supply; 12 booster pumping stations; 15 water storage tanks; and 1,363 miles of pipeline.
Achievement Highlights: In 1998, a competitiveness assessment was conducted that included a benchmarking comparison of the drinking water utility to "world-class" utilities, as well as other private utilities. Following a staff analysis of the recommendations, the utility underwent significant organizational and operational changes that included: The transition to a team-based employment environment to reduce the overall supervisor-employee ratio; create a more flexible workforce; utilize the benefits of cross-training; foster a greater understanding of respective functions; and promote the professional and personal development of employees through increased skills and knowledge. Toward these goals, employee task groups are looking at job functions that can be performed by multiple job classifications and the re-engineering of many work processes has been accomplished through employee teams, both intradepartmental and interdepartmental. The implementation of transitional cost-of-service rates to more accurately reflect revenue requirements and to bring rates more in line with the actual cost of providing service to different classes of customers. Even with a rate adjustment in the year 2000, rates remain among the lowest in the United States and both operational practices and water quality have been recognized four times with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Region 6 Public Water Supply Environmental Excellence Award. A reorganization of the utility into three departments (formerly there were four departments) and the re-assignment of various sections to departments that allow for more efficient work processes, better communication, and more responsive service to customers. Development of a plan to automate to the extent possible all facilities to further achieve cost efficiencies in staffing and other operating costs. The plan includes going to unmanned operations at the Ozark Point Water Treatment Plant, one of two treatment facilities, within the next six months. Initiation of a $31-million capital improvements program to optimize treatment plant operations, ensure continued compliance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act, and provide for a needed increase in treatment capacity.

Massachusetts Water Resources Authority

2001 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
  • MWRA is the wholesale water provider to 60 communities and 2.5 million people in metropolitan Boston and central Massachusetts.
  • MWRA provides about 250 mgd.
  • In FY01 MWRA has 1576 employees and an annual current expense budget of $498 million.
Achievement Highlights: MWRA has successfully completed many competitiveness improvement initiatives over the past several years. Performance of the MWRA's drinking water quality has risen dramatically due a series of interim projects to improve watershed protection, source water quality, primary and residual disinfection, corrosion control and removal of open distribution storage. MWRA has met the tough federal and state rules for unfiltered water systems, successfully sought approval from the state and a federal judge that filtration was not needed and is now constructing a centralized treatment system using ozone disinfection. MWRA has also implemented pump station upgrades and automation, an accelerated pipeline rehabilitation program for the MWRA distribution system (280 miles, 80 percent unlined cast iron mains) and a no-interest loan for community systems (5600 miles, 47 percent unlined), and an aggressive multi-year program to improve valve operability through exercising and replacement. Included in this ten year, $1.7 billion capital improvement program is a 17.6-mile deep rock tunnel to insure continued reliable delivery of water. MWRA has recently realigned its management organization to streamline operations and promote cross-functionality between the water and sewerage systems that were run separately for many decades. A Chief Operating Officer position was created and filled and a consolidated water/sewer operations building is under construction. Major investments have also been made in technical and professional development training programs for staff and managers. Internal communication is supported by a weekly newsletter, an intranet system and Labor-Management committees on topics such as the competitiveness and staffing study.

Memphis Light Gas & Water Division

2001 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Memphis Light Gas & Water Division (MLGW)
  • Serves over 900,000 people.
  • Ten water treatment plants and a 3,400-mile distribution system.
Achievement Highlights: Initiated a full-scale assessment and benchmarking study. Developed benchmarks compiled in a Benchmarking Equivalency Number Index. Employee-driven process teams measured performance and made recommendations. O&M costs per water customer dropped by $3 since 1998. Preventable instances such as main breaks and complaints have been significantly reduced since the mid-1990s. Customer satisfaction is at an all-time high; rated the top utility in the Southeast for Customer Satisfaction by JD Power and Associates. In spite of expanding service areas and rate reductions, no new employees were hired and overhead is spread across more customers. Improvements at MLGW are driven by employee-led Quality Circles. Employees take part in a corporate gain-sharing program with payouts of $500 to $1,500 per employee on an annual basis based on corporate performance.

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California

2001 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
For 70 years, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has successfully acquired and delivered high quality water supplies to Southern California. Recent years have seen a growth of external competition and political realities within California that threatened to change or reduce the utility's role. In late 1998 and into early 1999, the challenges and demands issued by the state legislature, member agencies and the public in general led Metropolitan's Board of Directors to recruit a new executive management team. The team would not only provide solutions to existing issues, but also positive direction and leadership for the organization into the next century. A plan to restructure Metropolitan was presented to the Board and approved in July 1999. This district-wide reorganization was necessary to become more responsive, accountable and transparent to Metropolitan's customers and the public in general. Moving forward with a strategy for appropriate and manageable change, management began reorganizing staff and analyzing business practices with a new vision in mind &endash; to reduce unnecessary organizational layers, eliminate inefficient business practices, increase competitiveness and meet the demands of customers while maintaining stable water rates. The past two years have produced substantial changes in not only how Metropolitan is viewed, but also how it will operate more effectively in the future. Accomplishments to date include: $144 million in operations, maintenance and capital savings, 188 fewer employees since April 1999, four new bargaining unit contracts, elimination of 150 consultant contracts, and improved relationships with customers.

Onondaga County Water Authority

2001 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Onondaga County Water Authority (OCWA), N.Y.
  • Serves more than 350,000 people in four Central New York counties.
  • 110 employees operate and maintain 1,438 miles of water main.
  • Operates a 20-mgd water filtration plant and monitors delivery of water from City of Syracuse and the Metropolitan Water Board.
  • Annual operation and maintenance budget for 2000 was $14,169,690 and the capital budget totaled an additional $8.9 million.
Achievement Highlights: Much of the Authority's success ties into reinventing itself over the past ten years: Downsizing, through attrition, from 132 employees in the early '90s to its present level of 110. Through an aggressive consolidation effort, the Authority's system grew more than 36 percent in total services, mains and hydrants. The reinvestment program saw more than $23 million worth of infrastructure improvements completed while maintaining stable water rates and avoiding the need to issue water revenue bonds. Increased maintenance of its system and improved services to its customer base through automation in areas of customer service, distribution operations and water treatment. Adopted an aggressive policy of outsourcing non-core related business functions. Provided staff more opportunities for training and professional enhancement. Water treatment plant received Phase III certification from the USEPA Partnership for Safe Water and the water quality group is currently working on Phase IV certification. Joined the QualServe Benchmarking Clearinghouse in 2000 upon the completion of both the QualServe self-assessment and peer review processes. Adopted a progressive approach to dealing with safety and insurance matters that has resulted in significant savings on all lines of insurance over the past seven years with annual savings in the range of $250,000.

Orange County Water Division

2001 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
The Orange County Water Division constantly monitors the effectiveness of programs and processes it established to meet citizens' needs and develops new techniques to ensure that future needs are met. The Water Division's mission is to provide customers with safe and reliable water services by continually improving facilities, work processes and the capabilities of employees. The Water Division's competitiveness strategy includes a variety of initiatives. As the population of Orange County continues to grow, more water facilities have been built to provide adequate service. A state-of-the-art laboratory was completed in 1998 at the Eastern Regional Water Supply Facility that allows staff to work in a central location to perform all necessary testing. Maintenance of equipment and training of personnel are top priorities in the Water Division. Public education for community groups and in public schools continues to expand as innovative programs, such as "Touring the Water Facts," are developed.

Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department

2001 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department (PBCWUD), Florida
  • Provides water services to 400,000 residents.
  • Also provides retail and wholesale services to several cities and towns.
  • Operates four state-of-the-art water treatment plants (72 mgd total), two wastewater treatment plants (54 mgd total), 1500 miles of pipelines, 650 wastewater pump stations and 8 wellfields.
  • Has 416 employees, an annual operating budget of $57,000,000 and a $240,000,000/seven-year capital improvement program.
Achievement Highlights: Realizing the need to become more competitive, and thus minimize the threat of privatization, PBCWUD developed and implemented a "Productivity Assessment and Enhancement Program" beginning in 1995. As a result, the following gains have been achieved: Individual worker productivity has increased 60 percent, with each employee now serving an average of 425 customers, up from 265 customers in the past. The number of PBCWUD budgeted employees declined over the past ten years while at the same time the population served increased by 140,000. Employee morale is up, and employee turnover is down. Cumulative savings from decreased manpower needs alone have exceeded $20 million. PBCWUD's ongoing $240 million capital improvement program is now fully funded from internally generated funds, and existing bonded indebtedness has been reduced from $1,100 per dwelling unit to less than $800 per dwelling unit. On an inflation-adjusted basis, PBCWUD utility rates have decreased 30 percent over the past 15 years. PBCWUD now has one of the most productive and quality work forces in the industry and has eliminated the competitive threat.

Philadelphia Water Department

2001 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Philadelphia Water Department (PWD)
  • Approximately 2,100 employees.
  • Operates three water plants treating an average of approximately 300 million gallons of river water each day and maintains approximately 3,300 miles of water mains.
  • Supplies drinking water to 1.5 million retail customers in the City of Philadelphia and another 150,000 residents of Lower Bucks County.
  • Annual operating budget of approximately $427,527,000.
Achievement Highlights: Since 1992, PWD went from a period of double-digit rate increases to no increases for the past five years as the utility implemented a competitiveness strategy within its strategic plan. Below are examples of the PWD's success in implementing those strategies: Moved from quarterly to monthly billing for significant collection rate increases. Launched the largest automatic meter reading (AMR) project of any United States water utility, public or private. AMR is projected to achieve cumulative financial benefits over the 20-year useful life of the system estimated at $30 million, in net present value. Minimized the cost of debt service by refinancing debt in favorable market conditions, saving over $61 million in debt payment, in net present value, since 1995. Began assigning and monitoring service-level goals, on a monthly basis, for units. Expanded safety programs to reduce employee injuries and help employees who are injured return to work more quickly. As a result of such efforts, the number of PWD workdays lost because of injuries has declined steadily from a peak of 4,821 in FY 93 to only 1,432 in FY 2000. Moved to obtain more feedback from customers by performing "point-of-service" customer satisfaction surveys. Following the completion of extensive wastewater plant expansion and upgrades, PWD is now shifting more of its capital resources to water main and sewer replacement and rehabilitation. Implemented a Capital Facilities Assessment Program that inspects the condition of major facilities in order to minimize the cost of repairs and significant operational and service disruptions.

Phoenix Water Services Department

2001 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Phoenix Water Services Department
  • Serves 345,000 water accounts and 1.3 million people.
  • Operates five water treatment plants with a combined capacity of about 630 mgd.
  • Annual operating budget of about $205 million and a five-year capital improvement budget of about $1.5 billion.
Achievement Highlights: Five years ago, the Phoenix Water Services Department embarked upon a reengineering program designed to achieve eight goals related to achieving excellence in customer service, environmental stewardship, cost effectiveness, safety, optimal staff size, expanded and upgraded facilities and limiting rate increases. The department's management and labor formed a coalition to mutually pursue these goals and their efforts resulted in: An overhaul of work practices and staffing structure at all plants and a reorganization of all plant and facility maintenance support groups. A new Multi-Skill Worker Program that calls for workers to expand their capabilities to include both operations and maintenance skills and provides a new pay scale to reward those bringing greater skills to the job. A highly planned and coordinated maintenance program; minimized off-shift staffing; expansion of first-line workers' roles to include simple and basic journey-level tasks; increased applications of technology to leverage worker productivity; and realignment of internal work groups. A recent independent audit showed annual cost savings achieved by the reengineering program are greater than $12 million. Customers benefit from the effort through improved service levels and the fact that charges for water and sewer service are among the lowest in the country.

Portland (Maine) Water District

2001 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Portland Water District, Maine
  • Provides water, wastewater and environmental services to 10 communities.
  • Serves approximately 46,000 customer accounts, or 171,000 people, with its 190 employees.
  • Manages $215 million in assets operating over approximately 140 square miles.
  • Has an annual operating budget of $28.9 million and a $10 million capital improvement budget.
Achievement Highlights: In 1997, the Portland Water District's governing board adopted a three-year competitiveness strategy to close the gap identified in a comprehensive review of all organizational work processes. Among the goals identified were to reduce the O&M budget, invest in technology, encourage employees to become multi-skilled, and accomplish all objectives without employee layoffs. By late-2000, all the above initiatives had been achieved: Staffing was reduced by 13 percent through attrition and voluntary, early retirements. A Technology Master Plan was prepared, which has guided the investment in SCADA, GIS, data warehousing, etc. Several areas were reorganized to promote cross-training, optimal performance, and communication, including such areas as maintenance, laboratories and field operations. Not only have costs been contained, but two water rates decreases also have been implemented - a 9.5 percent decrease in 1999 and a 2.2 percent decrease in 2000. Further, a direct dividend equivalent to one month's typical water bill was distributed as a billing credit to all customers in 2000. PWD has employed multi-disciplinary teams to reengineer work processes, implemented pay for performance measures, established corporate and departmental goals that are measured annually, and increased its communication efforts with employees and its customers. Employee and customer satisfaction surveys are used to assess progress towards strategic goals and to direct changes.