The Hit List

How water utilities are applying a top 10 of effective utility management ‘Attributes’. By Brian Ramaley, President of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies & Director of Newport News Waterworks

Common challenges facing water utilities include rising costs, aging infrastructure, increasingly stringent regulatory requirements and a rapidly changing workforce.  Systematically applied effective utility management programs can help water systems successfully address these challenges. A new framework – the Attributes of Effective Utility Management (Attributes) – has become a powerful tool for utilities across the country.

The 10 Attributes were identified in 2007 by a blue-ribbon panel of water and wastewater executives commissioned by six major water and wastewater associations and the US Environmental Protection Agency.  Since introducing the Attributes, EPA and the six collaborating groups have been active in promoting them among the nation’s water and wastewater utilities. The AMWA aligned its annual performance awards criteria to the Attributes, and winners of its most recent Gold Awards for Exceptional Utility Management and Platinum Awards for Utility Excellence reflected high performance on all these key reference points. A look at how the Attributes are being supported by the some of these organizations puts them into a utility management perspective.

1. PRODUCT QUALITY
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) voluntarily established an internal arsenic standard of 5ppb (half the federally allowed level) in its Los Angeles Aqueduct supply, which has high levels of naturally occurring arsenic. LADWP also established a conservative disinfection byproducts (DBP) compliance monitoring plan involving all maximum locations throughout its water distribution system to assure that its water will be well below regulated limits for DBPs.

At the City of Norfolk (Virginia) Department of Utilities several initiated enhancements to product quality were made, including a change in coagulants at its largest water treatment plant that resulted in reduced turbidity and a 20 percent reduction in disinfection byproducts. 

2. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority’s water usage tracking and alert system integrates its automated meter reading technology with a web-based program that lets customers track their water use and even alerts them of water usage spikes. The High Use Notification Alert technology notifies customers about unusually high water use by email or telephone. The technology also helps customer service representatives assist customers in diagnosing causes for higher than average bills.

3. EMPLOYEE LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT
Columbus Water Works in Georgia targets workplace learning through its Personal Opportunity Program, fosters in-service training and offers a tuition assistance plan to employees for continuing education. Succession and supervisory programs include 18 months of classroom instruction and extracurricular activities. A cross-section of staff members participate in six strategy teams, and all employees have incentives directly linked to both individual and agency performance.

4. OPERATIONAL OPTIMIZATION
Northern Kentucky Water District employees are actively involved in operational optimizations including chemical savings by plant operators, increasing inventory accuracy by customer service field workers and increasing energy efficiencies with a team from accounting and pump maintenance. A plant operator team worked together to test different coagulants and mixtures of coagulants, changed and added chemical application points and successfully optimized the chemical feed to save significantly on chemical costs.

The Prince William County (Virginia) Service Authority regularly performs leak detection surveys using correlators and acoustic diagnostics to locate underground leaks before they present problems. The Authority surveys its entire system every two to three years and acts on the findings to pinpoint and repair leaks. The process has also provided trend information about leaks that is used in performing predictive maintenance.

5. FINANCIAL VIABILITY
The Contra Costa Water District’s rate policy requires that rate increases be held to levels at or below the rate of inflation, a constraint that provides incentive to aggressively pursue outside funding opportunities and pursue partnership arrangements in order to maximize benefits to customers at the lowest possible cost. In 2007, for example, 30 percent of the District’s annual expenditures were funded by non-rate payer revenues.

Fairfax Water in Virginia is one of only a handful of water utilities in the country to have received a AAA rating from the three top financial bond rating services. The utility’s strategic financial model uses historical trending as well as current inflation assumptions to project its operating requirements. In addition, annual internal cost of service studies are performed to ensure customers are paying appropriate fees for services and an external evaluation is performed every three to five years to validate its rate methodology.

6. INFRASTRUCTURE STABILITY
The City of Salem (Oregon) Public Works Department is developing databases necessary to support its ongoing asset management program, including financial, GIS and CMMS. Various performance measures related to its assets are tracked to assess system reliability and stability. In addition, planned maintenance events are being expanded from traditional assets (such as pumps, valves, etc.) to incorporate all components in the system, and the results can be seen directly in the planned maintenance ratio performance measure. Currently, 90.4 percent of maintenance performed is planned rather than corrective.

7. OPERATIONAL RESILIENCY
Massachusetts Water Resources Authority began in the early 1990s to develop a culture of preparedness and skills of coordinated response, identifying points of failure and training on response plans for critical events. Over time, all hazards plans were developed, and supplemented with Incident Command System (now NIMS) training for line and management staff. A key element of capital planning over the past decades has been improving redundancy, including a $728 million new parallel transmission tunnel.

8. COMMUNITY SUSTAINABILITY
As part of a recently completed project to increase reservoir storage volume, Spartanburg Water installed a 108-inch cone valve which serves multiple purposes: allowing precise control of downstream water releases to reduce the probability of flooding; serving as an aeration device to help maintain downstream aquatic life; and assuring minimum downstream flows to meet the needs of downstream uses. The utility also participates in a Powershare program to generate its own power during periods of peak electrical demand using on-site hydroelectric or diesel generators.

Green Bay Water Utility’s 10 major water users (who use more than 40 percent of its water) are a key component of the city’s economy. The utility regularly interviews these largest customers in an effort to help them stay healthy and competitive. By providing a high quality product and stabilized rates, the water system contributes to the sustainability of the community.

9. WATER RESOURCE ADEQUACY
Proactive long-term water supply initiatives for Chesterfield County (Virginia) Utilities Department included completion of a water audit that found its distribution system sound; adoption of building codes requiring the installation of low flow fixtures; and adoption of an ordinance for voluntary, mandatory and emergency water restrictions during drought and/or emergency conditions. The department has been innovative in preserving water supplies through its water reuse agreement with Dominion Virginia Power, the largest reuse project in the commonwealth.

10. STAKEHOLDER UNDERSTANDING AND SUPPORT
To align and balance the interest of key constituents, Tualatin Valley Water District in Oregon uses methods such as making all Board meetings ‘public meetings’ including time for public comment; conducting open houses and stakeholder meetings; including five members of the public on the budget committee in addition to five commissioners; soliciting feedback through regular customer attitude surveys, focus groups, the utility’s website and customer services calls; and participating in the Tualatin River Watershed Council, which brings together the interests of land, water and people in the local watershed.

Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority also works closely with all its stakeholder groups. It is a founding member of Florida Keys Green Living and Environmental Education, an organization bringing government, business and individuals to create solutions to sustainability challenges, and participates in the Keyswide Sustainability Project, presenting new initiatives in sustainability, conservation and operations efficiencies to stakeholders throughout the Keys. Utility management serves on the South Florida Water Management District Water Resource Advisory Council, the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Water Quality Improvement Steering Committee and the New Water Supply Coalition, among many other key community roles.

Further information on Effective Utility Management can be found at www.watereum.org.