Once again, the District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC WASA) has been recognized as a national leader in water utility management for operational and strategic excellence. DC WASA was among only 11 utilities in the country to receive the 2008 Platinum Award for Utility Excellence from the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA). The award was presented at AMWA’s annual conference this month in New Orleans.

DC WASA was presented with the Platinum Award for Sustained Competitive Achievement in 2006 and the Gold Award for Competitive Achievement in 2003, and won this new award for its sustained achievements in strategic planning, operations, finance, technology, human resources and communications. In addition to customer service and technology improvements, DC WASA’s peer reviewed research and career development programs help make it one of the top water utilities in the nation.

“AMWA’s 2008 award-winning water agencies are industry pace-setters, systems where management vision and employee commitment create sustainable utilities producing ample supplies of clean, safe water for their communities,” said AMWA President Brian Ramaley, Director of Newport News Water Works. “These systems have implemented a full range of successful initiatives that address all of the industry-recognized attributes of effectively managed utilities.”

DC WASA General Manager Jerry N. Johnson said, “Our first order of business when the Authority was established 12 years ago was to repair and upgrade infrastructure, improve finances and modernize our support functions. Now that we have built a solid foundation, and are even more forward-looking in operations and strategic and financial planning, it is an honor to be recognized for our continued progress towards becoming a world-class organization.”

AMWA is an organization that consists of the nation’s largest publicly owned drinking water utilities in the nation. The AMWA Platinum Award for Utility Excellence recognizes leading water agencies that have successfully maintained and expanded their competitive initiatives in areas such as new technology, infrastructure management and customer satisfaction.

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