Utilities Department Recognized Nationally For Excellence
By Space Coast Daily // November 1, 2013
Palm bay wins Award for Utility Excellence
BREVARD COUNTY — The Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA) honored 11 public drinking water systems with its top utility management awards on October 28 in ceremonies at its 2013 Annual Meeting in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Palm Bay Utilities Department was among the six systems who received Platinum Awards for Utility Excellence; five systems were presented Gold Awards for Exceptional Utility Performance.
The awards recognize outstanding achievement in implementing the nationally recognized Attributes of Effective Utility Management.
2013 AMWA PLATINUM AWARDS WINNERS
• City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities (Ohio)
• Louisville Water Company (Kentucky)
• Onondaga County Water Authority (New York)
• City of Palm Bay Utilities Department (Florida)
• San Diego County Water Authority (California)
• Western Virginia Water Authority (Virginia)
AMWA’s 2013 GOLD AWARDS FOR EXCEPTIONAL UTILITY PERFORMANCE
Beaver Water District (Arkansas)
• City of Dayton Water Department (Ohio)
• City of Mesa Water Resources Department (Arizona)
• City of Raleigh Public Utilities Department (North Carolina)
• City of Virginia Beach Department of Public Utilities (Virginia)
“To be recognized nationally among these peer organizations is a true testament of our team’s commitment and desire to keep moving forward and keep improving. The men and women of Palm Bay Utilities Department continually rise to meet the high expectations this industry demands,” commented Dan Roberts, utilities director.
In 2010, Palm Bay Utilities Department received the AMWA Gold Award for Exceptional Utility Performance. Utilities must wait three years after receiving the Gold Award to be considered for the Platinum Award.
“AMWA awards recognize the extraordinary performance of water agencies where management vision and employee commitment create a sustainable utility producing ample supplies of clean, safe drinking water,” said AMWA President Pat Mulroy, General Manager, Las Vegas Valley Water District.
“The communities served by these award winners should be proud of the accomplishments of their forward-thinking, exceptionally well-managed public utilities.”
The Attributes of Effective Utility Management are industry standards and cover utility performance in areas of product quality, customer satisfaction, employee and leadership development, operational optimization, financial viability, infrastructure stability, operational resiliency, community sustainability, water resource adequacy, and stakeholder understanding and support.
The City of Palm Bay Utilities Department (PBUD) incorporates the Effective Utility Management Attributes into its daily operational procedures and processes through its Environmental Management System known as GreenWay.
By tracking and measuring operational performance throughout the organization, PBUD has made continual improvements to optimize efficiencies and services.
The Department continues to see a reduction in energy use due to its plant optimization programs and continues to champion the City’s Sustainability Master Plan.
Some of PBUD’s continuous improvement initiatives include: a revised distribution sampling plan, a uni-directional flushing program, EGIS mapping applications, expanded asset tracking and enhanced customer service processes and communication.
