Water Utility Benchmarking


Book Description

Benchmarking is essential for those developing and implementing water policy. If decision-makers do not know where they have been or where they are, it would seem to be impossible to set reasonable targets for future performance. Information on water/sewerage system (WSS) operations, investments, and outputs is essential for good management and oversight. This book is designed to help decision makers identify the data required for performance comparisons over time and across water utilities, to understand the strengths and limitations of alternative benchmarking methodologies, and to perform (or commission) benchmark studies. This book provides an overview of the strengths and limitations of different methodologies for making performance comparisons over time and across water utilities (metric benchmarking). In addition, it identifies ways to determine the robustness of performance rankings. Current benchmarking activities in Latin America, Asia, Africa, Central Europe/Asia, and OECD nations are summarized. Five basic approaches to benchmarking characterize current studies: Core indicators and a summary or overall performance Indicator (partial metric method), Performance scores based on production or cost estimates (“total” methods), Performance relative to a model company (engineering approach), Process benchmarking, and Customer survey benchmarking. This volume is of interest to the water professionals, water utility managers and senior staff of regulatory agencies, professionals in related government agencies, and consultants. Visit the IWA WaterWiki to read and share material related to this title: http://www.iwawaterwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Articles/InfrastructureRegulationStateOwnedEnterprisesVsInvestor-ownedInfrastructureOperators




Benchmarking Water Services


Book Description

Benchmarking has become a key tool in the water industry to promote and achieve performance targets for utilities. The use of this tool for performance improvement through systematic search and adaptation of leading practices, has expanded globally during the past decade. Many ongoing projects worldwide aim to address different needs and objectives, in varying contexts, with outstanding results and impact. Benchmarking Water Services provides valuable information to everyone interested in benchmarking in the water industry. The text is aimed at utilities considering joining a benchmarking project, experienced practitioners in charge of organizing a benchmarking exercise, consultants, regulators and researchers. The document is presented with a clear practice oriented approach and can be used as a how-to-benchmark guide presented from different perspectives (participants, organizers, supervising bodies). Readers will gain practical insight on real life benchmarking practices and will benefit from the experiences gained in some of the leading benchmarking projects of the water industry (including the IWA-WSAA benchmarking efforts, the European Benchmarking Co-operation and the several benchmarking projects carried out in Austria and Central Europe). The manual also presents the new IWA Benchmarking Framework, which aims to harmonize the terms used to describe benchmarking and performance indicators practices in the water industry, guaranteeing a more fluent and efficient communication. This Manual of Best Practice is edited by the IWA Specialist Group on Benchmarking and Performance Assessment, and co-published by AWWA and IWA Publishing. Praise for Benchmarking Water Services: "The continual trend of conceptual to specifics throughout the book provides for an educational experience each time the book is either casually perused or carefully studied." "The authors (Cabrera, Haskins and Fritiz) diligently pursue the focus of improvement." "Benchmarking Water Services is an in depth and practical ‘must have’ guide for any utility currently engaged in or planning to develop a benchmarking process" - Gregory M. Baird (2012) Benchmarking: An International Journal 19:2. More information about the book can be found on the Water Wiki in an article written by the author: http://www.iwawaterwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Articles/TheNewIWABenchmarkingFramework A Spanish language version of this book is available as a free eBook: http://www.iwawaterwiki.org/xwiki/bin/view/Articles/eBookTitlesfromIWAPublishingFreetoDownload-Volume2#HBenchmarkingParaServiciosdeAgua




2017 Awwa Utility Benchmarking: Performance Management for Water and Wastewater


Book Description

Utility managers can use the data and analyses in this report to determine how their utility's performance compares to the water or wastewater industry in five areas of operations: Organizational Development, Customer Relations, Business Operations, Water Operations, and Wastewater Operations.




2021 AWWA Utility Benchmarking: Performance Management for Water and Wastewater


Book Description

Aggregate benchmarking data provides one framework for an individual utility to track its goals and improvement. Use of benchmarking data, or initiating the process of performance measurement, can be key to performance improvement. Efficient and effective improvements are necessary for utilities to meet customer expectations, manage rates, and meet more stringent regulations. AWWA's Utility Benchmarking publication allows utility managers to use data and analyses to determine how their utility's performance compares to the water or wastewater industry. The report includes performance indicators for five areas of operations: Organizational Development, Customer Relations, Business Operations, Water Operations, and Wastewater Operations. Metrics you can use Water and wastewater utility managers need useful metrics to gauge how their organization is currently performing, and to set reasonable targets for future performance. The benchmarking data and analyses in this report are chosen for their usefulness in helping utilities track and improve both operational efficiency and managerial effectiveness. Benchmarks for all operations Utility Managers can use the data and analyses in this report to determine how their utility's performance compares to the water or wastewater industry in five area of operations: Organizational Development, Customer Relations, Business Operations, Water Operations, and Wastewater Operations. The report provides benchmarking data for 58 key performance indicators. Compare your utility Aggregate data are provided from 38 US states, two Canadian provinces, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico. Participating utilities range in size from under 10,000 population served to over 500,000 population served, summarizing performance data for the fiscal year 2020. Where data are available, historical trends from previous AWWA utility benchmarking surveys are also provided.




Benchmarking Performance Indicators for Water and Wastewater Utilities 2007


Book Description

With this update to the 2005 publication "Benchmarking Indicators for Water and Wastewater Utilities: Survey Data and Analyses Report," utility managers can determine where their utility performance resides within the industry peer group.




Benchmarking Performance Indicators for Water and Wastewater Utilities


Book Description

Utilizing the 22 performance indicators described in "Selection and Definition of Performance Indicators for Water and Wastewater Utilities," published in 2003, this report presents the summary and comparative analyses on each performance indicator. The data helps utilities improve their operational efficiency and effectiveness plus helps them see where they stand in relation to their industry peer group.




The IBNET Water Supply and Sanitation Performance Blue Book


Book Description

This book aims to raise awareness of how the International Benchmarking Network of Water and Sanitation Utilities (IBNET)can help utilities identify ways to improve urban water and wastewater services. It provides an introduction to benchmarking and to the objectives, scope and focus of IBNET and describes some of its recent achievements. The methodology and data behind IBNET are elaborated, and an overview of IBNET results and country data are presented.




2020 Awwa Utility Benchmarking: Performance Management for Water and Wastewater


Book Description

Aggregate benchmarking data provides one framework for an individual utility to track its goals and improvement. Use of benchmarking data, or initiating the process of performance measurement, can be key to performance improvement. Efficient and effective improvements are necessary for utilities to meet customer expectations, manage rates, and meet more stringent regulations. AWWA's Utility Benchmarking publication allows utility managers to use data and analyses to determine how their utility's performance compares to the water or wastewater industry. The report includes performance indicators for five areas of operations: Organizational Development, Customer Relations, Business Operations, Water Operations, and Wastewater Operations. Metrics you can use Water and wastewater utility managers need useful metrics to gauge how their organization is currently performing, and to set reasonable targets for future performance. The benchmarking data and analyses in this report are chosen for their usefulness in helping utilities track and improve both operational efficiency and managerial effectiveness. Benchmarks for all operations Utility Managers can use the data and analyses in this report to determine how their utility's performance compares to the water or wastewater industry in five area of operations: Organizational Development, Customer Relations, Business Operations, Water Operations, and Wastewater Operations. The report provides benchmarking data for 58 key performance indicators. Compare your utility Aggregate data are provided from 38 US states, two Canadian provinces, American Samoa, and Puerto Rico. Participating utilities range in size from under 10,000 population served to over 500,000 population served, summarizing performance data for the fiscal year 2018. Where data are available, historical trends from previous AWWA utility benchmarking surveys are also provided.




Benchmarking of Control Strategies for Wastewater Treatment Plants


Book Description

Wastewater treatment plants are large non-linear systems subject to large perturbations in wastewater flow rate, load and composition. Nevertheless these plants have to be operated continuously, meeting stricter and stricter regulations. Many control strategies have been proposed in the literature for improved and more efficient operation of wastewater treatment plants. Unfortunately, their evaluation and comparison – either practical or based on simulation – is difficult. This is partly due to the variability of the influent, to the complexity of the biological and biochemical phenomena and to the large range of time constants (from a few minutes to several days). The lack of standard evaluation criteria is also a tremendous disadvantage. To really enhance the acceptance of innovative control strategies, such an evaluation needs to be based on a rigorous methodology including a simulation model, plant layout, controllers, sensors, performance criteria and test procedures, i.e. a complete benchmarking protocol. This book is a Scientific and Technical Report produced by the IWA Task Group on Benchmarking of Control Strategies for Wastewater Treatment Plants. The goal of the Task Group includes developing models and simulation tools that encompass the most typical unit processes within a wastewater treatment system (primary treatment, activated sludge, sludge treatment, etc.), as well as tools that will enable the evaluation of long-term control strategies and monitoring tasks (i.e. automatic detection of sensor and process faults). Work on these extensions has been carried out by the Task Group during the past five years, and the main results are summarized in Benchmarking of Control Strategies for Wastewater Treatment Plants. Besides a description of the final version of the already well-known Benchmark Simulation Model no. 1 (BSM1), the book includes the Benchmark Simulation Model no. 1 Long-Term (BSM1_LT) – with focus on benchmarking of process monitoring tasks – and the plant-wide Benchmark Simulation Model no. 2 (BSM2). Authors: Krist V. Gernaey, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark, Ulf Jeppsson, Lund University, Sweden, Peter A. Vanrolleghem, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada and John B. Copp, Primodal Inc., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada