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.