About the Effective Utility Management Collaborative Effort

On May 8th, 2007, six associations representing the U.S. water and wastewater sector, including the American Public Works Association, the American Water Works Association, the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the National Association of Water Companies, and the Water Environment Federation, in collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), signed a historic agreement pledging to support effective utility management collectively and individually throughout the water sector and to develop a joint strategy to identify, encourage, and recognize excellence in water and wastewater utility management. The organizations also announced the release of Findings and Recommendations for a Water Utility Sector Management Strategy. Designed to advance effective utility management practices, the report culminated a 12-month effort focused on excellence in water and wastewater utility management.

The Report identifies "Ten Attributes of Effectively Managed Water Sector Utilities" (Attributes) that provide a succinct indication of where effectively managed utilities focus and what they strive to achieve. The Attributes can be viewed as a continuum of, or a set of building blocks for, management improvement opportunities. The Attributes, are deliberately not listed in a particular order; since utility managers will determine their relevance and relative importance based on individual circumstances. As a complement to the Attributes, the Report also identifies five "Keys to Management Success" or approaches and systems that foster utility management success.

The release of the report is accompanied by a statement of support and an action list from the collaborating organizations as well as a fact sheet for utility managers. The Primer (PDF) is the best resource for utilities interested in getting started on working with the attributes.