Resources
The Effective Utility Management Collaborating Organizations have created several resources for utilities interested in using the 10 attributes and keys to management success to assess and enhance their utility management efforts.
Key Effective Utility Management Resources
EPA, working with utility leaders from around the country, has just posted the following two documents designed to help utilities implement programs based on the EUM Attributes of Effectively Management Utilities, endorsed by EPA and nine other water sector organizations:
EUM Case Examples — documents the experiences and benefits seen by a group of utilities that are using the EUM framework to improve their operations:
Effective Utility Management in Action: Utility Case Examples
Updated EUM Effective and Sustainable Practices Roadmap — helps utilities benchmark specific utility management practices used by other leading utilities:
For further information, please contact Jim Horne at EPA horne.james@epa.gov.
The Primer for Water and Wastewater Utilities provides an overview of the attributes and keys to management success and a framework intended to help utility managers identify and address their most pressing needs through a customized, incremental approach that is relevant to the day-to-day challenges utilities face.
The EUM Case Studies document provides an overview of four utilities that have applied all or part of the Primer concepts and tools. The case studies document is a companion to the Primer, providing concrete examples and “how to” assistance for utility managers applying the Primer concepts and tools.
EPA has developed additional information and case studies to help utilities understand how to use Lean techniques and tools to help utilities achieve the outcomes associated with the EUM Attributes. Lean allows utilities to identify ways to eliminate waste and improve the overall efficiency of many different utility operations.”
- Resource Guide to Effective Utility Management and Lean (PDF)
- Effective Utility Management and Lean at Water-Sector Utilities (PDF)
- Effective Utility Management and Lean-Six Sigma Initiatives, Presentation by the Pompano Bean Utilities Department (PDF)
- Leveraging Utility Performance with Effective Utility Management and Lean-Six Sigma Initiatives, Presentation by Clean Water Services (PDF)
Performance Benchmarking for Effectively Managed Water Utilities-WRF Project 4313
A Water Research Foundation project identified best practices and metrics used by water utilities to support each of the 10 attributes of effectively managed water utilities; developed and
documented a framework and methodology for utilities to evaluate the attributes; and created an Excel-based tool that they can use to conduct a self-assessment for internal performance benchmarking.
Moving Toward Sustainability: Effective and Sustainable Practices for Creating Your Water Utility Roadmap
EPA is now issuing Moving Toward Sustainability: Sustainable and Effective Practices for Creating Your Own Water Utility Roadmap. The purposes of this document is to assist utilities move toward sustainability by implementing proven practices over time at a pace consistent with their needs and the needs of the communities they serve.
Making the Right Choices for Your Utility: Using Sustainability Criteria for Water Infrastructure Decision Making
This document is designed to supplement the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Planning for Sustainability: A Handbook for Water and Wastewater Utilities (“the Handbook”), issued in February 2012. The Handbook identifies a number of steps utilities can take to incorporate sustainability considerations into their existing planning processes, organized around four core elements of planning commonly used by utilities.
EUM Tools for Small Systems
Building on the success of the original EUM framework, EPA and USDA have developed two new document to help managers of rural and small water and wastewater systems effectively manage their operations. The first document is the Rural and Small Systems Guidebook to Sustainable Utility Management. The Guidebook uses the same EUM framework
to help small systems assess their operations and develop a work plan for improving their performance.
Accompanying the Guidebook is the Workshop in a Box which contains materials to help systems and technical assistance providers work with systems using the Guidebook.
EPA and USDA developed these materials with significant input from small systems managers around the country.
For more information please contact Jim Horne with EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management by email or by calling (202) 564-0571.
- Rural and Small Systems Guidebook to Sustainable Utility Management (PDF)
- Workshop in a Box – Sustainable Management of Rural and Small Systems Workshops (PDF)
Interactive Primer
The Interactive Primer provides an online, self-guided version of the Primer for Water and Wastewater Utilities.
Resource Toolbox
The Resource Toolbox provides a compilation of the resources from the seven organizations collaborating on the Effective Utility Management effort and is organized according to the ten attributes of effectively managed utilities and the five keys to management success.
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