So You Want to Run a First-Class Utility?

Once again, a new year has started and folks everywhere are reviewing goals for personal growth and setting new ones. On the professional side, water quality leaders have the Water Environment Federation’s vast and varied resources to help them grow and become even better at protecting the world’s water. Utility managers (and I was one for some 23 years) have a special resource to support their goal-setting and desire for top operational efficiency--the Effective Utility Management Primer for Water and Wastewater Utilities.

I wanted to blog about the EUM because those who care about great utility management need to know about this invaluable tool…it worked at my utility and it can work for yours. To develop it, managers from 16 diverse facilities, large and small, public and private, water and wastewater, came together through EPA to identify the breadth of what is involved in effective utility management and strategic planning. Appointed by collaborators EPA, AMWA, APWA, AWWA, NACWA, NAWC, and WEF(as a WEF appointees I represented Columbus Water Works), we hammered out what is needed for success and how to measure progress. The result is a terrific and practical tool for strategic planning and management—well worth using by managers on their own or with consultant assistance.

You know so many times we think of the technical aspects of running a utility, but there are many other elements to consider. For example, a first-class operation really pays attention to customer service, whether you’re talking water or wastewater. That’s just one of 10 attributes outlined in the EUM, which also describes the five keys to management success.

If you are passionate about clean water and great management, I highly recommend you check out this important tool, which is the basis for The Utility Management Conference in San Francisco next month. Meanwhile, we’d love to hear from folks who are using the EUM or have questions about its use. Please share comments here.

Putting the 'Special' in 2010 Specialty Conferences

By Jeanette Brown, 2009-2010 President-Elect of WEF

Welcome to 2010 at the Water Environment Federation, where this year’s Specialty Conference series looks to be better than ever before. As a participant in the 2009 Nutrient Conference, I gained so much both professionally and personally because of the technical content and the ability to network with experts in the field. I have participated in and attended other specialty conferences this past year where the experience was just as rewarding. These conferences are exclusive and wonderful ways to learn about select areas from leaders in the field. As you can see from the list below in 2010, we plan an even greater variety of conferences which offer something for all professionals employed in the water sector.

• The Utility Management Conference™ 2010
  San Francisco, California
  February 21-24
  
• Cities of the Future 2010
  Boston, Massachusetts
  March 7-10
  
• Urban River Restoration 2010
  Boston, Massachusetts
  March 7-10
  
• 2010 AWWA/WEF Information Management & Technology Conference
  Portland, Oregon
  March 21-24
  
• WEF/A&WMA Odors and Air Pollutants 2010
  Charlotte, North Carolina
  March 21-24
  
• Residuals and Biosolids 2010
  Savannah, Georgia
  May 23-26
  
• Membrane Applications 2010
  Anaheim, California
  June 6-9
  
• Collection Systems 2010
  Phoenix, Arizona
  June 13–16
  
• Biofilm Reactor Technology Conference 2010
  Portland, Oregon
  August 15-16
  

If any of these topics applies to your job or appeals to your interest, please consider joining the thousands of water quality professionals who participate in these unique events every year. For technical excellence, superior meeting arrangements, and unmatched networking opportunities, you’ll find WEF truly puts the ‘special’ in specialty conferences. See you in Savannah for Residuals and Biosolids!