Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
Like the Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance, the criteria for the Platinum Award for Utility Excellence are based on the Ten Attributes of Effective Utility Management and the Keys to Management Success. Applicants are expected to show progress in implementing the attributes and keys, as well as a distinctive level of management expertise and expanded utility achievement.
Three years after winning a Gold Award, member utilities are eligible to apply for the Platinum Award for Utility Excellence.
Recent Award Winners
Minneapolis Water Works
2011 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
Minneapolis Water Works (MWW) has improved its product quality, customer service, product cost and staff development. An ambitious project to optimize the lime softening process, along with a laboratory opened to reassess methods, allowed MWW to significantly improve its water quality. Its centralized call center can track, interpret and give results providing information needed to improve customer service. For financial viability, expenses were reduced to match the loss in revenue due to decreased sales caused by water conservation. An improved forecasting tool was developed that allows prediction of future revenues, and an expended capital program will provide additional infrastructure stability.
Orange Water and Sewer Authority
2011 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
While Orange Water and Sewer Authority’s (OWASA) customer base grew 3.6 percent in the last five years, water demand dropped 18 percent. Conservation initiatives included increasing block water rates, public information, mandatory year-round conservation standards, and a reclaimed water system that will meet about 12 percent of the community’s overall water demand. OWASA reduced its workforce by 15 percent without affecting service quality through reorganization, greater use of technology, and a more highly trained and flexible workforce. Financial reserves grew to over $20 million and the debt service coverage ratio improved to over 2.0.
Riverside Public Utilities
2011 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
Riverside Public Utilities’ (RPU) strong local partnerships create new opportunities in water supply, conservation and watershed management while maximizing regional efficiencies. Open communication fosters stakeholder support and builds collaborative relationships to help ensure a safe and reliable water supply for future generations. The utility’s proactive approach to groundwater management through the development of an integrated water management plan is consistent with its reputation as an innovator. Prudent fiscal management can be credited for RPU’s Water Division upgrade to an AAA credit rating by Standard and Poor’s. This strong financial position is in line with both the utility’s short and long-term goals of protecting its financial health.
Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
2011 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) plans to replace 41 miles of water pipe in FY2012, and formed a Bi-County Working Group to assess funding alternatives. The utility established five asset management plans and uses acoustic fiber optics to monitor large prestressed concrete cylinder pipe transmission lines for signs of weakness. Sustainability is clearly demonstrated in issues related to water supply, green and efficient acquisition of energy, reduction of greenhouse gas and community outreach and education. Its Potomac Water Filtration Plant has the largest active UV disinfection system in the country. And, WSSC was one of the first utilities to have its own smart phone “app.”
Austin Water Utility
2010 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
The Austin Water Utility uses asset management and a thorough performance measurement system to significantly cut costs while increasing efficiency. A culture of continual improvement and environmental stewardship pushes the utility to make greater use of water and energy conservation and sustainability practices to strengthen its future water resource supply and reduce environmental impact. Austin Water has implemented sound, conservative financial management practices to strategically plan for the future and attain stable bond ratings. Its stakeholders and over-sight bodies are fully engaged to work hand-in-hand to identify standards, discuss future demands and implement publicly acceptable rates.
Boca Raton Utility Services
2010 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
Boca Raton Utility Services strives to sustain excellence by balancing regulatory mandate requirements, benchmarking established levels of service, achieving financial stability and ensuring employee sustainability. Through the evolution of its strategic planning program, the department has continued to adapt, enhance and transform its processes to effectively manage these elements. It continues to meet the strategic goals related to customer satisfaction, financial stability and product reliability. By advocating commitment to technology and innovation through programs, educational processes and a dynamic organizational structure that maximizes employees’ knowledge and skills, the utility is developing sustainable employee succession.
City of Bellevue Utilities Department
2010 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
To provide exceptional public service, the City of Bellevue Utilities Department uses tools including audits, surveys, benchmarking and continuous improvement programs. Performance measures are tracked to gauge effectiveness, efficiency and workload. Advanced asset management tools are in place, and asset data is used for financial planning. The Department’s renewal and replacement fund accumulates funds to maintain and replace aging infrastructure, and a high bond rating is maintained without the use of debt financing and with reasonable incremental rate increases. Commitment to sustainability and environmental protection is demonstrated with successful public education and outreach programs, which have produced significant results for water conservation and environmental health.
City of Glendale Utilities Department
2010 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
The City of Glendale Utilities Department has a record of providing exemplary water services while maintaining regulatory compliance. Major infrastructure improvements include new surface water and groundwater treatment plants, replacement and installation of water lines, improvements to existing water treatment plants and construction of state‐of‐the-art water security monitoring systems. The department also implemented robust sewer cleaning, aggressive meter testing and water production optimization programs to reduce electrical, chemical and water resources costs. Human resources initiatives improve employee skills, productivity and operational flexibility, and sound financial programs – such as benchmarking, gap analysis and strategic business plans – promote financial stability.
City of Henderson’s Department of Utility Services
2010 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
The City of Henderson’s Department of Utility Services has in place a progressive management structure that supports process improvement, operational optimization and resiliency and employee development. For the past decade, the utility has successfully supported double-digit growth in the community while responding to the worst drought in history on the Colorado River System, its primary source of drinking water. Even with the substantial effects of drought and growth on its resources and infrastructure, customer rate adjustments have been kept below the rate of inflation and customer satisfaction maintained at levels above 90 percent.
El Paso Water Utilities
2010 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
El Paso Water Utilities shares water resources with three states and two countries, which dictates a proactive water management strategy that focuses on policy, planning and technology. Guided by its strategic plan and with input from key constituents and stakeholders, the utility has aggressively implemented its strategic goals and objectives. Predictions of unsustainable groundwater pumping were mitigated by implementing total water management, and other management initiatives have reduced and deferred operating cost, improved safety and efficiency, and reduced gas and electricity costs while conserving natural resources. The average residential bill, among the lowest in the Southwest, reflects the utility’s competitive rate structure and financial stability.
Newport News Waterworks
2010 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
Newport News Waterworks completed $400 million in capital improvements between 1990 and 2010, yet staffing levels today are lower than in 1990. Over this same period, residential bills increased less than 3 percent per year (taking into account reduced water usage). Its system reliability rating of 99.997 percent equates to only a two-hour outage every ten years on average. The utility reduced leaks in its distribution system and replaced its billing system. Water quality was improved via the addition of ozone as primary disinfectant and a follow‐up manganese removal project. Waterworks also earned the E4 environmental designation, the highest level awarded by Virginia’s Department of Environmental Quality.
Charleston Water System
2009 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence
Charleston Water System manages the majority of regulatory requirements through an Environmental Management System and continually improves operational efficiency using industry benchmark performance indicators. Key elements used for continuous improvement include: certification under the ISO 14001 Standard for Environmental Management; Plan-Do-Check-Act methods coupled with problem solving techniques; systems for aligning employee performance goals with the strategic plan and providing associated pay incentives; a measurement and tracking system; statistical process control techniques to ensure the highest water quality; and workforce development systems for employee learning and development.