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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMemo - Mail Packet - 11/27/2018 - Memorandum From Kevin Gertig Re: Association Of Metropolitan Water Agencies (Amwa) 2018 Platinum Award For Utility ExcellenceSUSTAINABLE WATER UTILITY MANAGEMENT AWARD Boston Water and Sewer Commission Chicago Department of Water Management Denver Water East Bay Municipal Utility District Las Vegas Valley Water District Massachusetts Water Resources Authority Scottsdale Water Tucson Water PLATINUM AWARD FOR UTILITY EXCELLENCE Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority Fort Collins Utilities Knoxville Utilities Board GOLD AWARD FOR EXCEPTIONAL UTILITY PERFORMANCE City of Ann Arbor Water Utility Cleveland Water Greenville Utilities Commission Recognizing the exceptional performance of water agencies where management vision and employee commitment create a sustainable 2018 utility producing ample supplies of clean, safe drinking water. Drinking water utilities across the nation can find inspiration in the thoughtful planning, innovative operations and exceptional performance of AMWA’s 2018 utility management award winners. They exemplify the best management practices in the water industry as they promote the health, economy and sustainability of the communities they serve. This year, three water systems are awarded the Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance, three earn the Platinum Award for Utility Excellence and eight receive the Sustainable Water Utility Management Award. What does it take to secure this recognition? Years of solid performance combined with forward-thinking leadership – as judged by panels of industry peers – are required. Each winning utility demonstrates the key attributes of effective utility management, including water quality and resource adequacy, operational resiliency and optimization, financial viability and infrastructure stability. They are pacesetters in customer satisfaction, employee and leadership development, stakeholder support and community sustainability. The extraordinary achievements of this year’s AMWA award-winning water systems are a credit to the water sector and make these utilities valued assets to their customers and communities. Diane VanDe Hei Chief Executive Officer October 2018 2018 Sustainability Award | 1 Through evolving technologies and today’s stringent environmental and public health standards, Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC) fulfills its commitments to ratepayers, residents and visitors by implementing both short-term and long-term measures that are designed with a sustainable mission in mind. BWSC has committed resources to improving operations, maintaining fiscal responsibility and increasing public awareness to improve water quality and protect the environment. BWSC is a committed environmental steward, aiming to utilize its infrastructure to its maximum efficiency. The utility is continually dedicating resources to efforts such as improving operations and services to its ratepayers, as well as controlling pollution to keep Boston’s harbor, beaches and rivers clean. As a self-funding agency, BWSC fights aggressively to maintain equitable and affordable rates. Additionally, BWSC has developed and implemented green infrastructure and low impact development throughout numerous construction projects such as a $1.5 million collaboration with the Boston Public Schools. These achievements are a direct result of BWSC’s investment toward improved sewer and stormwater infrastructure, implementation of best management practices and working with other stakeholders in Boston. BOSTON WATER AND SEWER COMMISSION Henry Vitale, Executive Director Henry Vitale TOP: Rafael Hernandez School in Roxbury is one of five Boston Public Schools to receive a green infrastructure makeover as part of a $1.5 million collaboration with BWSC to reduce polluted water runoff from schoolyards and parking lots while providing science and environmental learning opportunities for students. BOTTOM: BWSC crews perform maintenance on water gate valves. SUSTAINABLE WATER UTILITY MANAGEMENT AWARD 2 | 2018 Sustainability Award The Chicago Department of Water Management (DWM) provides drinking water and removal of wastewater and stormwater runoff through its vast water and sewer networks for the residents and businesses of the city of Chicago, as well as 125 of its surrounding suburbs. DWM’s approach to sustainability involves ongoing improvement projects, proactive financial management, commitment to the environment and efforts to interact and stay involved with the community. The city of Chicago is committed to sustainability with an aggressive 100-year revitalization program to improve its infrastructure, including replacement of water and sewer mains as well as improvements to its two water purification plants and 12 pumping stations. These projects endeavor to incorporate green initiatives as well as modernize equipment to streamline utility efficiency. DWM also led a successful initiative to install residential water meters to help promote awareness of water usage and water conservation. Recognizing the need to create a strong relationship with the community, DWM reached out to customers through various speaking engagements, internet and social media channels in order to exchange information and create awareness for the many programs the department offers. These programs include green infrastructure, water quality, flood prevention and water supply protection initiatives, to name just a few. Randy Conner CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF WATER MANAGEMENT Randy Conner, Commissioner TOP: Over the past decade, DWM has implemented numerous programs to improve source water conservation, including the replacement of approximately 100 miles of aging and leaking water mains annually. CENTER: At the 10th Annual Water Environment Federation Community Garden Service Project, DWM joined the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District and more than 220 volunteers and water professionals to beautify a local school campus and prepare it to take on stormwater. BOTTOM: Various energy saving technologies have been implemented at DWM’s facilities, including solar panels on the roof of the Springfield Pump Station, which recently underwent a steam to electric conversion. SUSTAINABLE WATER UTILITY MANAGEMENT AWARD 2018 Sustainability Award | 3 At Denver Water, promoting sustainable water use and environmental stewardship has been a top priority since its inception 100 years ago. Today the utility faces numerous challenges — climate change, regulatory uncertainty, economic and social change, and natural and manmade disasters — that merit rethinking the meaning of sustainability. Because of that, Denver Water is defining its notion of sustainability and incorporating it into everything the utility does, from energy and transportation to water and materials, land use, people, and infrastructure and assets. Responsible, sustainable financial practices have kept rates low, ensuring customers have some of the most affordable water in the region. These practices also helped keep borrowing costs low, earning the utility a AAA rating by all three bond-rating agencies and saving $12.5 million in financing charges over the past four years. Denver Water is incorporating green building practices into all of its new construction, including its new 35-acre main campus. Steps are being taken toward becoming an energy-neutral organization by 2020, reducing municipal solid waste by 25 percent in the next two years and banning the smoking of cigarettes at all of its facilities. And Denver Water continues to build on its award-winning campaign to help customers use water efficiently in its dry climate. TOP: The hydroelectric plant at Williams Fork Dam is one of seven in Denver Water’s system. Those plants generated more than 71 million kilowatt hours of energy in 2017, more than enough to power all of Denver Water’s facilities, from pump stations to treatment plants. CENTER: Denver Water workers move into the new fleet building on its new 35-acre main campus. Skylights and lighter colored floors to reflect light are two of the many sustainable features in the new buildings. In all new construction at Denver Water, LEED and other certifications are considered and implemented where applicable. In its new campus, the utility is also using One Water principals, which include rainwater capture, on-site wastewater treatment and reuse. BOTTOM: Celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2018, Denver Water has embraced sustainability since its origin, by promoting conservation on early 20th century streetcars and building its first hydroelectric plant in the 1950s. DENVER WATER Jim Lochhead, Manager and Chief Executive Officer Jim Lochhead SUSTAINABLE WATER UTILITY MANAGEMENT AWARD 4 | 2018 Sustainability Award East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) has been in the vanguard of sustainability for many years as an early adopter of leading-edge practices in integrated water resources planning, asset management, water conservation and recycling, renewable energy, natural resource management and climate change response. Its water supply planning to a 2040 horizon expands the portfolio beyond traditional sources to regional conjunctive use, increased conservation, recycling and the potential for potable reuse, and aggressive drought scenario actions. EBMUD’s infrastructure renewal focuses on resilience in the face of dramatic changes including sea level rise, seismic events, increased urbanization and prolonged drought. EBMUD has recognized the imperatives of mitigating climate change as well as adapting to it and has committed to reducing direct emissions 50 percent by 2040 (against a 2000 baseline) and cutting indirect emissions to zero in that same time. Energy efficiency, renewable energy and low- carbon fuels are all part of a comprehensive strategy to achieve these goals. EBMUD is committed to a triple-bottom-line approach in meeting current and future needs. Its financial management has sustained strong bond ratings from all three major rating agencies, while pioneering green bond issues and ESG (environmental, social and governance) standards in retirement system investments. Similarly, EBMUD recognizes its obligations to help sustain the community it serves and has acted to expand customer rate assistance, local contracting and local job opportunities. EAST BAY MUNICIPAL UTILITY DISTRICT Alexander R. Coate, General Manager Alexander R. Coate TOP: A core piece of EBMUD’s mission is protecting the natural resources it relies on to provide high quality drinking water to customers. Rangers work on their own and in partnership with community volunteers to protect local creeks and watershed lands. CENTER: EBMUD is using alternate methods – such as cured-in-place pipe – to renew its pipeline infrastructure. Instead of cutting into miles of pavement, crews excavate small areas along the route, reducing trench spoils and limiting inconvenience to neighbors. BOTTOM: EBMUD uses focused strategies to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, including generating clean solar energy at its facility in Walnut Creek. SUSTAINABLE WATER UTILITY MANAGEMENT AWARD 2018 Sustainability Award | 5 The Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD) provides drinking water to more than 1.4 million residents and manages and operates multiple rural water systems. Its capital improvement plan, asset management and reserve policies provide long-term financial security and support planning for infrastructure and water resources. The construction of Lake Mead Intake No. 3 and the low lake level pumping station help to ensure the system’s capacity and water quality if lake levels continue to decline. Additional resource management, such as water banking, intentionally created surplus and return flow credits, are ways the organization helps offset potential supply shortages associated with drought and climate change, helps meet future demands and helps stabilize Lake Mead water levels. Through successful water conservation programs, such as turf replacement, conservation rebates, leak detection and automated meter reading, the LVVWD and the Southern Nevada Water Authority have saved billions of gallons of water over the years. The LVVWD prides itself in community involvement through citizens advisory committees, participation in conservation programs, education through outreach and marketing, and providing valued learning experiences at its Springs Preserve, a 180-acre cultural institution designed to commemorate Las Vegas’ dynamic history and to provide a vision for a sustainable future. TOP: LVVWD replaced more than 2,000 feet of concrete distribution pipeline with PVC piping along Las Vegas Boulevard when testing showed the pipeline wall strength degraded 25 percent. Making proactive repairs avoided the possibility of an unplanned service outage to the busy surrounding commercial and residential area. BOTTOM: Data received via Syrinx pressure monitors installed throughout the LVVWD water system allow staff to make adjustments to decrease pressure fluctuations. These adjustments minimize leaks, avert costly emergency repairs and enhance the longevity of the community’s water infrastructure. LAS VEGAS VALLEY WATER DISTRICT John J. Entsminger, General Manager John J. Entsminger SUSTAINABLE WATER UTILITY MANAGEMENT AWARD 6 | 2018 Sustainability Award The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) provides wholesale water and wastewater service to the Boston metropolitan area and is committed to sustainable management. Providing reliable, cost-effective, high-quality water and sewer services to protect public health and maintain customer confidence is MWRA’s mission. Sound fiscal management policies allow for sound asset management. MWRA rates not only reflect the true cost of water, they also provide for continued maintenance of past investments and allow for modernization and improvement of the water system. The authority’s budget is tied to its business plan, and its capital improvement program is tied to its master plan, so its multi-year rate strategy is sustainable and predictable. MWRA is an environmental agency. Demand management and leak detection have eliminated waste and avoided the need to develop new sources of supply. Large, well-protected supply reservoirs have become regional resources for stressed water systems during times of drought and provide alternatives for communities withdrawing water from stressed river basins. The authority follows a regional model for energy efficiency and green power production: solar, hydro and wind. Climate change mitigation and adaptation are key MWRA initiatives with regular tracking of greenhouse gas emissions, flood proofing and resilience measures programmed into all rehabilitation programs. Stakeholder engagement is built into the governance of MWRA. The board of directors, advisory board and MWRA-funded citizen advisory groups represent the communities served. Public access, education programs and mobile water fountains enhance the experience of citizens. Communicating about projects, water quality and all aspects of MWRA operations is part of the authority’s proactive transparency. TOP: Wind, solar and biogas are features at MWRA’s Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. BOTTOM: MWRA’s portable water fountains are a great opportunity to talk to the public about their tap water and are booked every weekend from May to October. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker sampled the water at a recent event. MASSACHUSETTS WATER RESOURCES AUTHORITY Frederick A. Laskey, Executive Director Frederick A. Laskey SUSTAINABLE WATER UTILITY MANAGEMENT AWARD 2018 Sustainability Award | 7 Scottsdale Water is the municipal water and sewer service provider for the city of Scottsdale, Arizona. Located in the Sonoran Desert, the city has a very arid climate, averaging less than seven inches of rain per year. Scottsdale Water knows that every drop of water is precious in the desert and has a long history of thinking and acting strategically with its water resources. Scottsdale Water operates one of the most sophisticated indirect potable reuse facilities in the world and has been an industry leader in the realm since its advanced water treatment facility began operation in October 1998. The utility now recharges an average of 1.7 billion gallons of purified recycled water into the aquifer annually, helping ensure long-term water supplies and the integrity of its aquifer. Due in large part to these aggressive recharge efforts, Scottsdale was the first city in Arizona to achieve “safe yield” – pumping less groundwater out of the aquifer than recharging back in – which the state mandated must be achieved by the year 2025. Scottsdale has achieved safe yield every year since 2006. Scottsdale Water is committed to exemplifying our vision of “water sustainability through stewardship, innovation and people.” TOP: The hub of Scottsdale Water operations, the Water Campus incorporates the city’s primary surface water treatment plant, a water reclamation and advanced water treatment facility, a 63-well indirect potable recharge system and a state-of-the-art water quality laboratory. CENTER: Designed to integrate into and enhance the surrounding neighborhood, Scottsdale Water’s Chaparral Water Treatment Facility features public art in the form of weathered metal sculptures, gabion walls and a 5.5 acre public demonstration Xeriscape Garden that conceals the facility’s underground 5.5 million gallon finished water reservoir. BOTTOM: The 70 mgd Central Arizona Project (CAP) water treatment plant at the Scottsdale Water Campus treats renewable Colorado River surface water delivered by CAP. SCOTTSDALE WATER Brian K. Biesemeyer, Director Brian K. Biesemeyer SUSTAINABLE WATER UTILITY MANAGEMENT AWARD 8 | 2018 Sustainability Award All facets of Tucson Water’s operations, its relationship with the community and its impact on the environment must be sustainable because Tucson’s quality of life and the health of the local economy depend on it – now and into the future. Operating in a way that maintains and enhances the sustainability of the community and environment requires an integrated approach to ensuring safe, reliable and sufficient water supplies for residential, economic and environmental uses, encouraging conservation and maximum efficiency for all uses, while maintaining a fair and affordable rate structure. Tucson Water has been providing safe and reliable service for more than 100 years. Because of strategic planning, continuous improvement, key investments and a focused water efficiency and conservation program, the utility possesses verifiable water resources that will support the community for the next 100 years. The utility’s leadership engages in integrated planning to achieve water reliability as a priority across divisions and departments. That planning translates into aligning people, funding and energy on high-impact water quality and quantity efforts. Tucson Water’s finances are resilient to changes in the economy, the environment and the demand for water. It maintains solid credit ratings and financial reserves, which facilitate access to low-cost financing for capital improvements and reduced financial impact to customers. The utility is committed to establishing financial sustainability and rates that cover the full cost of service, are fair and equitable, and are sensitive to the hardships of large or sudden rate increases. TOP: As part of its comprehensive reservoir rehabilitation program, the Tucson Water Reservoir Rehab team last spring completed work on the 60 million-gallon Clearwell Reservoir, which had been in service for 25 years. BOTTOM: The Sweetwater Wetlands, where treated wastewater filters through sediments beneath recharge basins to replenish the local aquifer, is an urban wildlife habitat, an educational center and a tranquil area for visitors. Timothy Thomure TUCSON WATER Timothy Thomure, Director SUSTAINABLE WATER UTILITY MANAGEMENT AWARD 2018 Platinum Award | 9 From the day-to-day challenges of delivering safe, clean drinking water to looking at the big picture and a future fraught with the uncertainties of climate change, population growth and water availability, preparing New Mexico’s largest water and sewer utility for the coming decades is a complex task requiring the labor and talents of many people and the support of the larger community. The Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority’s 100-year water resource plan builds on the community’s past successes to chart a path forward. It continues to emphasize conservation and the wise management of the regional underground aquifer while exploring innovative supply alternatives. Planning now for the future improves the Water Authority’s ability to deal effectively with contingencies such as drought. And it vastly increases the likelihood that, in addition to providing water for today’s customers, it will be able to provide for future generations. In ensuring long-term water supply, the Water Authority is sustaining the assets and infrastructure that will be relied on to safely deliver drinking water and collect and treat wastewater. Its asset management plan allows the utility to keep up with its increasing infrastructure needs in order to meet regulatory and operational requirements, as well as expected levels of customer service. Even as it asks customers for additional resources to reinvest in the water and sewer system, the Water Authority continues pursuing ways to keep operating costs as low as possible by increasing energy efficiency, reducing injury hours and expanding the use of technology. TOP: Smart-meter antennae are popping up on meter boxes all over Albuquerque as the Water Authority converts to automated metering infrastructure. CENTER: The Water Authority stores excess water in the aquifer via infusion from the surface in its first aquifer storage and recovery project, at the Bear Canyon Arroyo. BOTTOM: The Water Authority funds riparian habitat restoration projects at multiple sites along the Rio Grande in Albuquerque. ALBUQUERQUE BERNALILLO COUNTY WATER UTILITY AUTHORITY Mark S. Sanchez, Executive Director PLATINUM AWARD FOR UTILITY EXCELLENCE Mark S. Sanchez 10 | 2018 Platinum Award Fort Collins Utilities enjoys strong community support for and satisfaction with the levels of service it provides every day, as measured through customer satisfaction surveys. The professionalism, engagement and concern shown by its employees allows for sound operational and financial decisions to be made and effectively implemented throughout the utility. Through the utility’s long-term operational and financial planning, the Fort Collins community enjoys safe, reliable, high-quality, affordable drinking water, which serves as a cornerstone of the community’s economic, social and environmental sustainability. The maturity of the asset management program, strategic financial planning, ongoing employee development and continual process improvement strategies ensure the community will continue to be served well by the utility in the future. This is evidenced by the municipal organization, including the utility services, being named a Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award 2017 recipient. PLATINUM AWARD FOR UTILITY EXCELLENCE FORT COLLINS UTILITIES Kevin Gertig, Executive Director Kevin Gertig TOP: Fort Collins Utilities field operations staff perform a routine flush on a water main. CENTER: As part of a meter upgrade, Fort Collins Utilities water meters were tested and reported to have a very high accuracy. BOTTOM: A water utility maintenance operator inspects for leaks in a city water main. 2018 Platinum Award | 11 The Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) maintains a long-term view to prepare for the future and continue providing safe, reliable and affordable services for its customers. KUB’s Century II infrastructure management program ensures sustainable lifecycle replacement and maintenance programs with steady investment, incremental rate increases and equitable sharing of the costs for service between today’s customers and future generations. Century II supports continual renewal of 1,400 miles of distribution pipe, dozens of pump stations and storage facilities, and a $100 million, 15-year water plant resiliency initiative. KUB is proud to serve its customers with an excellent water quality record. Its state of the art water quality laboratory performs approximately 100,000 tests annually – many more than required by regulations. The tests check for 150 contaminants to ensure quality and protect its drinking water and waterways. KUB not only takes great care in making the right investments in its utility systems, but also for its most valuable asset – its workforce. Programs like leadership development, operator qualification, knowledge management and diversity initiatives ensure a skilled, diverse workforce at every level of the organization. KUB is also committed to environmental stewardship and giving back to the communities it serves. Sustainability initiatives include biosolids beneficial reuse, energy efficiency upgrades of plants and facilities, and an alternative fuel fleet. Utility employees give back to the community through annual United Way campaigns, supporting local non-profit organizations through its VolTime program and helping youth develop career skills with the TeenWork Program. Mintha Roach TOP: KUB’s Century II Infrastructure Management Program ensures sustainable lifecycle replacement for all utility assets. For the water system, KUB maintains a pace of replacing one percent of its pipe each year. BOTTOM: KUB’s state-certified water quality laboratory helps to ensure customers receive safe, high-quality water by performing about 100,000 tests annually. KNOXVILLE UTILITIES BOARD Mintha Roach, Chief Executive Officer PLATINUM AWARD FOR UTILITY EXCELLENCE 12 | 2018 Gold Award The City of Ann Arbor Water Utility provides award-winning potable water to approximately 125,000 customers. In 2016 and 2017, the utility was awarded the Best Tasting Water in Michigan by the Michigan Section of the American Water Works Association. Ann Arbor’s success starts with its mission to deliver exceptional service to its customers. Under the umbrella of this mission is its commitment to strategic decision making and investment in its staff. Ensuring staff have the tools and resources they need to be successful provides the foundation for delivering exceptional customer service. Ann Arbor was one of the first utilities in the state of Michigan to implement a conservation-based inclining block rate structure. The forward-thinking approach to rate development enabled it to apply its sustainability goals to how it charges for its services. The utility was also the first in the state to use ozone as its primary disinfectant. While ozone is becoming more commonly used in the drinking water industry, at the time it was still an emerging technology. These decisions and many others exemplify Ann Arbor’s vision to create and sustain excellence. By innovating and partnering with institutions like local universities, the utility is continually looking for new ways to cost effectively provide outstanding service to its customers. TOP: Ann Arbor’s 500,000-gallon spheroid Manchester Water Tower won Tnemec’s 2017 Tank of the Year for its original artwork. The city received more than 500 submissions from community members in its contest to design the artwork, a creative means to incorporate public art onto water infrastructure. BOTTOM: A city of Ann Arbor supervisor receives AWWA’s Water Utility Energy Challenge Champion Award. CITY OF ANN ARBOR WATER UTILITY Brian Steglitz, Water Treatment Services Manager Brian Steglitz GOLD AWARD FOR EXCEPTIONAL UTILITY PERFORMANCE 2018 Gold Award | 13 Cleveland Water produces a reliable supply of safe drinking water for 1.4 million people across Northeast Ohio at an affordable price. It does this with innovative approaches to monitoring and protecting the health of its source water – Lake Erie – and by optimizing its four interconnected water treatment plants. Cleveland Water has aggressively tackled the issue of water loss by leveraging expanded capital investment, new technologies and data analysis. As a result, the utility has increased its billed water usage by eight percent and reduced its water losses by 14 percent over a four-year period. Investments in upgraded automated meter reading technology have improved Cleveland Water’s service levels and are allowing the utility to more effectively communicate with customers regarding their water use. Its courtesy leak notifications and online data access portal empower customers to save money. The utility has also invested in technology and training to improve how it provides service to its customers, resulting in measurable improvements to service delivery across its meter operations, billing services, call center and collections operations. Cleveland Water works actively to engage stakeholders through multiple communication channels, trying to meet customers where they are in order to educate them on water quality, customer programs and other available services. It does all of this with an eye on financial responsibility and affordability. Through a combination of smart planning and hard work, the utility has held rates constant for three years, helping all its customers, including its most vulnerable populations, to afford its life-sustaining product. TOP: Cleveland Water employs the data-driven management software Cityworks at its job sites. The software integrates data about infrastructure, work orders and service requests, and equipment and material inventories into a single platform, helping better manage resources and assets with digital inventories and workflows. BOTTOM: Sounding is used to check for underground water main leaks in an effort to prevent water loss throughout the Cleveland Water system, both to help conserve water and control costs for customers. CLEVELAND WATER Robert L. Davis, Director of Public Utilities Robert L. Davis GOLD AWARD FOR EXCEPTIONAL UTILITY PERFORMANCE 14 | 2018 Gold Award Greenville Utilities Commission (GUC) provides water, sewer, gas and electric service to residential, business and industrial customers in Pitt County, North Carolina. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life for those it serves by safely providing reliable utility solutions at the lowest reasonable cost, with exceptional customer service in an environmentally responsible manner. Strategic plan goals include employee workforce development, financial stability, water supply sustainability, exceptional customer service, water quality and environmental leadership, and infrastructure investment and management. The highly trained, state-certified staff at GUC’s water treatment plant continuously monitors the treatment process to ensure water quality meets and exceeds regulatory requirements. Staff at the plant met the goals to earn the Area Wide Optimization Program (AWOP) Award from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality for the past three years. The AWOP requirements are more stringent than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s existing regulations, and this helps GUC achieve higher levels of water quality. Tony Cannon Randy Emory TOP: GUC’s water treatment earned the Area Wide Optimization Program Award from the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality for the past three years. BOTTOM: GUC’s water treatment plant staff with the 2018 AWOP Award. GREENVILLE UTILITIES COMMISSION Tony Cannon, Chief Executive Officer Randy Emory, Director of Water Resources GOLD AWARD FOR EXCEPTIONAL UTILITY PERFORMANCE The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) is an organization of the largest publicly owned drinking water systems in the United States, and its membership serves more than 156 million people with safe, clean drinking water. The nation’s only policy-making organization solely for metropolitan drinking water suppliers, AMWA was formed in 1981 to ensure that the issues of these utilities would be represented in Washington, D.C. The association represents the interests of its members by working with Congress and federal agencies to ensure safe and cost-effective federal drinking water laws and regulations that protect public health. Member representatives to AMWA are the general managers and CEOs of these large water systems. They serve on committees addressing utility management, regulation, legislation, security, sustainability and international exchange, providing the expertise to achieve water suppliers’ goals and their customers’ expectations. In the realm of utility management, the association provides programs, publications and services to help water suppliers be more effective, efficient and successful. Members have access to the ideas of industry experts and the experience of leading water agency managers on best practices for competing in today’s challenging environment. AMWA’s Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance, Platinum Award for Utility Excellence and Sustainable Water Utility Management Award are part of the association’s industry recognition program that honors distinguished achievement of utilities and individuals, as well as notable contributions to the drinking water field and ultimately to the public. Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies 1620 I Street, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20006 (202) 331-2820 | www.amwa.net