Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
The Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance recognizes member water systems that exhibit high levels of performance in the areas of community sustainability, customer experience and satisfaction, enterprise resiliency, financial viability, infrastructure strategy and performance, operational optimization, reliability and regulatory requirements, stakeholder understanding and support, water resource sustainability, and workforce development. These are the ten Attributes of Effectively Managed Utilities identified in 2007 by a blue ribbon panel of water and wastewater utility executives and revised in the 2024 Effective Utility Management: A Primer for Water Sector Utilities.
Any AMWA member utility that has never won a Gold Award is eligible to apply for the Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance.
- Example Gold Award-Winning Application
Recent Award Winners
JEA
2002 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
JEA’s record of technical and service excellence evolves from its dual goals: to make customers lives better through reliability, growth, accessibility and accountability, and to help the community prosper and succeed. JEA – which serves Jacksonville and northeast Florida– combined talents, strategy, strategic initiatives and values to develop processes that are efficient and provide better service to its customers. By fundamentally changing a traditional vertical management structure, JEA provided an opportunity for all employees to better respond to customer expectations and demonstrate a continued commitment to building community. As a whole, the company works to implement the strategic plan, which is guided by the following core values: do the right thing; personal safety; well being and development; honesty and trust; and, innovation and creativity. TargetSmart, a process-centered, data-driven work system that makes every employee accountable for results, will drive JEA to design products and services that meet external and internal customer needs safely and efficiently. By creating a self-disciplined TargetSmart approach, JEA can accelerate process and system changes that will improve workplace safety, increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, eliminate waste, reduce variation, improve cycle time and reduce costs – resulting in higher levels of performance. These fundamental changes are critical to JEA’s success in this competitive world.
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
2002 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is the largest municipal utility and one of the most complex water systems in the country. While the focus for improving the LADWP is often multifaceted, the primary areas of focus have been in information technology, infrastructure management and work force development. To increase effectiveness, LADWP is implementing four major technology systems: a consolidated SCADA system; a computerized maintenance management system utilizing MAXIMO; a project management and capital improvement program using Primavera; and, a customer relationship management system. Management of infrastructure increases reliability, controls O&M costs and improves customer service. In its Cement-Lining Program, LADWP lined between 500,000 and one million feet of pipe each year over the past decade. The Main Replacement Program installed an average of 130,000 feet each year for the last decade, and water meters are being replaced with a goal of having 667,000 completed within the next 10 years. Finally, the LADWP is developing a highly skilled and productive work force. Its Productivity Measurement System saved tens of millions of dollars over the last decade and continues to produce major dividends. Making use of the Mutual Gains Bargaining process and involving employees in the development of the strategic plan greatly improved employee relations and buy-in.
Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department
2002 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (MDWASD) partnered with the employee unions to improve the efficiency of the department by creating the Partnership Optimizing the WASD’s Efficiency & Reengineering (POWER) Program. The POWER Program provided an opportunity for all employees to participate in the decision-making process and share in any potential savings. MDWASD employees were encouraged by the department director and union presidents to make suggestions to improve the efficiency of the department. Over 3,500 suggestions were received. The suggestions were reviewed, prioritized and many were easily implemented, while others needed a Process Improvement Team (PIT) to review, evaluate and make recommendations. Hundreds of efficiency innovations were implemented across the board that resulted in $13.7 million in documented cost savings. In addition to the specific cost savings initiatives, $52 million per year was reduced in the operations and maintenance expenditures. At the same time, there were no employee lay-offs and the water and sewer rates decreased. The employees also shared in the savings as the Board of County Commissioners approved employee bonuses.
Minneapolis Water Works
2002 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Minneapolis Water Works (MWW) embarked in 1999 upon a five-year Change Management Program. The MWW vision states that the utility will provide customers with quality water and cost effective services in a manner that protects the safety of employees and the environment. Working on developing a more competitive organization during the past three years, the following accomplishments were achieved:
• A competitive assessment compared the MWW to the most efficient public and private utilities in the world. The assessment identified MWW’s competitive gap and made specific recommendations to enhance MWW’s effectiveness and efficiency and to reduce its operating costs.
• A Change Management Program plan was developed by an MWW steering team. The plan included MWW’s competitive and change program goals and measurements. The plans also identified design teams to work on specific areas of the change program.
• The design of MWW’s future organization and work practices is being completed primarily by the design teams in the areas of operations and maintenance of plants, facilities and the distribution system.
• The implementation phase will include pilot implementation of the program’s design, full implementation of successful pilots and future optimization of the Change Management Program throughout the MWW.
Nashville Metro Water Services
2002 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Metro Water Services (MWS) of Nashville provides water to more than 133,000 customers with two water treatment plants, each having a design capacity of 90 mgd. The utility maintains more than 2,500 miles of pressurized water mains, 44 reservoirs and 58 water pumping stations. With a goal of continuous improvement, MWS conducted reengineering efforts through a variety of competitive performance plans, including studies and improvements pertaining to personnel/staffing, energy conservation, purchasing and strategic outsourcing. A partnership between labor and management allowed for extensive employee involvement in the reengineering process. Numerous employee study teams are utilized to focus on individual MWS divisions and cost reduction opportunities. The organization has downsized from 1,025 to its present level of 637 employees. Cross training was maximized for a smaller, more flexible workforce, and a variety of communication methods were used to further inform and involve employees. MWS introduced new technologies for the call center, such as Interactive Voice Response (IVR), and implemented an automated call dispatch system to receive and route calls more efficiently. MWS has an ongoing Waterline Infrastructure Rehabilitation (WIR) program to systematically replace and rehabilitate its production and delivery system. New technologies, such as leak detectors and water quality monitoring devices, were introduced and have led to improvements in customer and employee satisfaction, productivity and cost.
Newport News Waterworks
2002 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Newport News Waterworks recognizes that the key to achieving competitiveness is to rely on the abilities of all its employees. Waterworks conducts regular strategic planning sessions with a broad cross-section of employees to develop strategies to make it more competitive. It has implemented a program called Target Employee Awareness and Motivation (TEAM) to involve employees in shaping Waterworks’ future. Waterworks has long used benchmarking to measure efficiency and to improve future performance. To measure customer satisfaction, a professional survey of customers was conducted and another is planned for the upcoming fiscal year. Waterworks’ efforts in managing its resources have had a positive impact in ensuring and improving the City of Newport News’ bond ratings. The Newport News City Council continually supports efforts of the Waterworks through rates, operating budgets, bond referendums and support of projects. Assessments performed by various entities and in conjunction with numerous AwwaRF projects have yielded the general conclusion that Waterworks is a well-managed and efficient organization. With over 20 percent of its workforce having more than 20 years of service with Waterworks, the utility recognizes the strength it derives from them and fosters greater employee creativity through mechanisms such as the TEAM efforts.
Norfolk Department of Utilities
2002 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
The Norfolk Department of Utilities provides water to more than 700,000 people in Norfolk, Virginia Beach and Chesapeake, and at area U.S. Naval facilities. Norfolk Utilities has approximately 64,000 service accounts, providing water service and sewer conveyance for Norfolk’s residents and businesses. Norfolk Utilities strives to deliver a quality product at the best possible price to its customers. A number of initiatives are in place to ensure that operations are as effective and efficient as possible. The initiatives are coupled with a focus on customer satisfaction. Some of the most notable competitiveness initiatives include:
• Tracking and reporting of performance indicators for each of the seven departmental divisions;
• Participation in the Partnership for Safe Water;
• Increased use of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems;
• Establishment of an e-government team to identify customer enhancements for the Utilities’ web site;
• Reengineering efforts in Accounting, Engineering and Customer Service divisions;
• The award of three grants resulting from an increased focus on financial stability;
• Employee development initiatives including Round Table improvement teams, the Communications Team and the annual employee satisfaction survey; and,
• Partnership with a local community college to offer courses on-site for an Associates Degree in Industrial Management.
Santa Clara Valley Water District
2002 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
The Santa Clara Valley Water District in California put into action an aggressive program of formal benchmarking and competitive analysis through a number of processes, including an AWWA Qualserve review, a comprehensive water utility audit and competitiveness improvement initiatives. In 1998, the District participated in the AWWA Qualserve self and peer review program. The following year, the Board of Directors of the District initiated a comprehensive performance audit of the water enterprise and, in 2001, the District became a member of the AWWA Qualserve Benchmarking Clearinghouse. The Water Utility completed a three-year strategic plan, with the following vision statement: To be a forward thinking, competitive leader in regional water operations, driven by customer service. Strategic issues for the water utility include: meeting the demands of increased regulations; managing operations and infrastructure to ensure supply reliability; achieving adequate staffing through a flexible workforce; improving coordinated regional water operations; increasing its competitiveness; and improving accountability with external and internal stakeholders. The District has three established labor bargaining units, and management fosters an inclusive, positive working relationship with them all. It utilizes many mechanisms for getting outside advice, including the Bay Area Water Agency Coalition, Bay Area operations and international collaboration.
Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility
2001 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Since a devastating depression in Alaska served as a wake up call in 1987, Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility (AWWU) has steadily worked to stabilize expenses and to increase revenues, efficiency, customer service and quality. These efforts culminated in the utility's Excellence Adventure, a competitiveness process designed and driven by employees to make AWWU a world-class utility. As a result, customers per employee increased 56 percent from 242 to 377 and the amount of plant per employee increased 144 percent from $1.3 million to $3.25 million. The last AWWU rate increase was in 1992 and since then net income increased from $203,000 to $10.5 million. During the same period, the utilities' water revenue bond rating increased from A to AA-. The engine behind many of these improvements is employee involvement on teams chartered with specific goals and deadlines. Participation on teams for strategic planning and competitiveness efforts grew steadily from 48 employees in 1998 to an estimated 106 (40 percent of total employees) in 2001, creating a tremendous synergy. The number of grievances and accidents are at a historical low while employee ideas/suggestions and employee morale are high. AWWU is on its way to attaining a lasting culture of employee involvement and continuous improvement.
Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works
2001 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
In 1996, the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works undertook a competitiveness assessment that determined a need for change in order to compete with the best of private utilities. In an effort to avoid privatization, a program was put into place to change work practices and move to a team-based culture called EXCEL for Excellence in Cost Effective Leadership. EXCEL is led by a steering team of labor and management representatives whose goal is to achieve environmentally sound water and wastewater service with rate stability. A pilot project showed that a team-based culture could improve productivity and work practices, allowing effective operation with a reduced staff. Since1999, staff reduction through attrition and energy savings have saved the Bureau $3.1 million, reducing the competitive gap from 19 percent to 10 percent. The supervisory ratio increased from 1:9 to 1:13 through a Bureau-wide reorganization and attrition. Currently, employees are undergoing an extensive training program to develop multiple skills in the fields of mechanical, electrical, instrumentation and operations as part of a flexible workforce program that increases efficiency and productivity.
Boston Water and Sewer Commission
2001 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Boston Water and Sewer Commission
- 550 employees.
- Serves a daily population of approximately 1 million.
- Maintains a 1,096-mile water distribution system.
- Total annual budget is approximately $211 million.
- Moody's Investor Services: AA3
- Standard and Poor's: AA-
- Fitch: AA-
Broward County Office of Environmental Services
2001 Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance
Broward County Office of Environmental Services (OES)
- Service area includes 58,000 accounts and serves a population of 263,000.
- Combined treatment capacity of 53mgd.
- Staffed with 380 full-time employees.
- Current operating budget excluding debt service is $59,785,820.