2016 Utility Honorees Utility of the Future Today
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2016 Utility Honorees Utility of the Future Today 1 The partners of the Utility of the Future Today are pleased to present the inaugural program’s 61 public and private utilities from across the U.S., Canada, and Denmark selected by a peer committee of utility leaders from an impressive number of first year entries. The recipients were recognized and honored during a September 27 ceremony held in conjunction with WEFTEC 2016 in New OrleansWEF’s 89th annual technical exhibition and conferenceas well as a number of commensurate events sponsored by the partners. The recipients received a display flag and a special certificate to further identify and promote their outstanding achievement as a Utility of the Future Today. The following 61 utilities have met the criteria for Utility of the Future Today by meeting the Organizational Culture requirement plus at least one of the Activities identified above. Recognized Activities are indicated for each utility as identified by a and are listed in alphabetical order. 2 Table of Contents Background 6 Program Purpose 7 Aarhus Vand, Denmark 8 Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, NM 17 Alexandria Renew Enterprises, VA 23 Avon Lake Regional Water, OH 34 Baltimore City Department of Public Works, MD 38 Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority, NJ 50 Charlotte Water, NC 61 City of Cedar Rapids, IA 71 City of Fayetteville, AR 76 City of Fond du Lac, WI 80 City of Grand Rapids, MI 86 City of Gresham, OR 94 City of Los Angeles – LA Sanitation, CA 99 City of Roseville, CA 108 City of San Diego Public Utilities Department, CA 114 City of San Jose - Environmental Services Department, CA 121 City of San Luis Obispo Utilities Department, CA 132 City of Tacoma Environmental Services, WA 142 City of Tucson/Tucson Water, AZ 148 Clayton County Water Authority, GA 153 Clean Water Services, OR 158 Daphne Utilities, AL 168 DC Water, Washington, DC 175 Downers Grove Sanitary District, IL 182 3 East Bay Municipal Utilities District, CA 190 Fairfax County Wastewater Management Program, VA 200 Fairfield Suisun Sewer District, CA 206 Glenbard Wastewater Authority, IL 217 Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources, GA 224 Hermitage Municipal Authority, PA 230 Hampton Roads Sanitation District, VA 234 Kent County Public Works, DE 239 King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division, WA 246 Knoxville Utilities Board, TN 254 Littleton/Englewood Wastewater Treatment Plant, CO 264 LOTT Clean Water Alliance, WA 272 Metro Council Environmental Services St. Paul, MN 282 Metro Vancouver BC - Liquid Waste Services, Canada 298 Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, IL 308 Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, FL 320 Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, WI 326 Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency, CA 344 Murfreesboro, TN Water and Sewer Department’s (MWSD), TN 349 Narragansett Bay Commission, RI 355 NEW Water, WI 368 New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), NY 380 Orange County Sanitation District, CA 392 Orange Water and Sewer Authority, NC 401 Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department, AZ 408 Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District, CA 418 San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, CA 433 Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County, CA 441 Santa Rosa Water, CA 453 4 Scottsdale Water, AZ 470 Spartanburg Water, SC 482 Stevens Point Wastewater Treatment Plant, WI 495 Trinity River Authority of Texas, TX 500 University Area Joint Authority, PA 506 Upper Occoquan Service Authority, VA 510 VCS Denmark 518 Victor Valley Wastewater Reclamation Authority (VVWRA), CA 524 2017 Program Information 530 5 Background: The “Water Resources Utility of the Future” was first articulated in a 2013 publication jointly prepared by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), and the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF). The Water Resources Utility of the Future: A Blueprint for Action sought to capture in one place current, emergent, and possible wastewater utility opportunities that, packaged together, presented a revolutionary future for the sector. That revolution would transform the traditional wastewater treatment system to a community-based resource recovery center and leader in the overall sustainability and resilience of the communities they serve. This Recognition Program has been specifically designed to further promote and enable the emergence of this new business model for the sector, provide recognition for those achieving these outcomes, and encourage peer-to-peer learning among utility members of the Recognition Program and with other utilities. The sponsoring organizations for this recognition program understand that substantial excellence in the operations of wastewater treatment systems exists today. Many utilities optimize and continually improve their operations, consistently meet or exceed their regulatory requirements, plan and invest effectively for the maintenance, repair and replacement of their infrastructure, and engage their employees and communities in meaningful and productive ways. While a variety of initiatives exist to promote and acknowledge excellent performance and sustainable management of utilities focused on our sector’s historic priorities – providing reliable, affordable, and responsible wastewater collection and treatment service, the most prominent of these is Effective Utility Management (EUM) (www.WaterEUM.org). EUM is supported by eleven Collaborating Organizations, including all five partners of this Recognition Program. The Ten Attributes of Effectively Managed Utilities and Five Keys to Management Success form the basis for Effective Utility Management. When taken together, these Ten Attributes and Five Keys represent the basis for excellence in utility management. While EUM is not a requirement for recognition under this program, utilities are encouraged to use the EUM framework as they seek to become a Utility of the Future. The 2016 inaugural Utility of the Future Today Recognition Program was created to promote actions that build on this foundation of excellent management and help small, medium, and large utilities transform their operations over time. The Utility of the Future Activity Areas focus on the key building blocks to this transformation: recovery and new uses of a full range of resources; and engagement as a leader in the full water cycle and broader social, economic, and environmental sustainability of the community. In addition, transformation of the internal utility culture in support of these innovations, and engagement in the community and formation of partnerships are necessary for success when operating outside of the traditional span of control of the utility. 6 Program Statement of Purpose The Utility of the Future Today Recognition Program seeks to reach deeply into the water sector to form and motivate a community of like-minded water utilities engaged in advancing resource efficiency and recovery, developing proactive relationships with stakeholders, and establishing resilient, sustainable, and livable communities. The Recognition Program, through the aggregation and sharing of utility advancements and experiences, enables participants across a broad continuum of capacities and capabilities to learn from each other and continually grow and sustain their efforts to be, and continually advance the concept of, the Utility of the Future. The Recognition Program seeks to encourage utilities to embed the principles of the Utility of the Future within their organization, beginning with Organizational Culture. Organizational Culture is the foundation by which all other Utility of the Future Activity Areas are sustainably supported. Utilities receiving recognition through this program are expected to share their practices and experiences to create a community of practice around the Utility of the Future Today, and to enable other utilities to continually learn from each other and evolve as a sector. 7 Aarhus Vand, Denmark Utility of the Future Today Activity Areas Meeting Criteria for Recognition: Organizational Culture Beneficial Biosolids Reuse Community Partnering & Engagement Energy Efficiency Energy Generation & Recovery Nutrients Water Reuse Watershed Stewardship 8 NARRATIVE: Our Mission, Vision, Values and Strategy 2020 Form the Core of Our Culture. Mission The company's objective is to offer and develop resource-efficient services throughout the water cycle, creating a climate-adapted healthy environment as well as growth and export to the benefit of customers and stakeholders. Vision Aarhus Vand wants to be Denmark’s leading water and wastewater utility. Aarhus Vand will focus on developing a value-adding water and wastewater utility with characteristics such as: Environmentally sound, resource-efficient, energy-neutral, well-run, innovative and partnership-promoting. Aarhus Vand has an excellent basis for creating overall solutions and committing to sustainability in relation to the overall water cycle. Our water and wastewater divisions, each has their own considerable strengths and potentials and we can achieve a unique position by coordinating the competencies. At the same time, excellent opportunities have been created to streamline operations by utilizing synergies optimally in a wide range of areas. Continued development of our production plant combined with extensive participation in research projects and highly competent and well-educated employees will help ensure that we and our surroundings see Aarhus