CIO magazine named the DC Water and Sewer Authority (DC WASA) to its annual list of Top 100 organizations that exemplify the highest level of operational and strategic excellence in information technology (IT). DC WASA joins such notable organizations as PricewaterhouseCoopers, AT&T, JetBlue Airways and United Parcel Service (UPS) on this prestigious list.

DC WASA was selected for the CIO award based on first-of-its-kind communication and control network infrastructure to support Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system business needs. Commenting on the system, Mujib Lodhi, CIO, said, “This new infrastructure will enable a much more proactive approach to business functions such as enterprise asset management and energy management. Data will be fresher and more reliable and will provide predictive analytics/modeling capabilities. For instance, we’ll know when equipment is approaching milestones and will be able to schedule its maintenance or replacement.” Added Terry Rankin, Information Security Officer, “In the future the system can automatically note an anomaly such as excess vibration, compare the data against baseline figures to diagnose the problem and issue a work order for a repair or replacement.”

Maryfran Johnson, Editor in Chief of CIO magazine & Events commented on the award recipients, "This years CIO 100 awards draws well-deserved attention to companies that are both innovating and creating business value with IT despite the economic downturn. These winners are an inspiration to businesses everywhere.” DC WASA was the only water and sewer utility that made the list.

DC WASA Interim General Manager Avis M. Russell said, “Since DC WASA became an independent agency in 1996, a major goal has been to leverage technology for advanced customer services and improved efficiencies and performance. Mujib Lodhi, Chief Information Officer, and his team, has shared this vision and innovative spirit.” In addition, the Authority is globally recognized for its research and technology and annually hosts international delegations on study tours to learn more about the Authority’s business processes and IT-enabled efficiencies.

Lodhi attributes the success of DC WASA’s technology innovation to cross-departmental collaboration and an environment of creative thinking. Lodhi said, “The concept of maintaining partnerships with the functional organization and IT is a critical success factor. Our employees are encouraged to seek creative solutions and are afforded the freedom to pursue innovative projects. Charles Kiely, Assistant General Manager for Consumer Services, and Johnnie Hemphill, Chief of Staff, were also vital participants and also deserve credit for the success of the project.”

Other companies named to the 2009 CIO 100 list include Raytheon, Best Buy, Pfizer, Discover Financial Services, GE Energy and Indiana University. Recipients of the award are not individually ranked.

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About The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority
The District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority (DC WASA), is an industry leading multi-jurisdictional regional utility that provides drinking water, wastewater collection and treatment to more than 500,000 residential, commercial and governmental customers in the District of Columbia, and also collects and treats wastewater for Montgomery and Prince Georges counties in Maryland and Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia.

DC WASA’s service area covers approximately 725 square miles and the company operates the world’s largest advanced wastewater treatment plant with a capacity of 370 million gallons per day-- and a peak capacity of 1.076 billion gallons per day.

About CIO
CIO produces award-winning content and community resources for information technology executives thriving and prospering in this fast-paced era of business, as well as create opportunities for information technology and consumer marketers to reach them. The CIO portfolio includes CIO.com, CIO magazine (launched in 1987), CIO Executive Programs and the CIO Executive Council. CIO properties provide business technology leaders with analysis and insight on information technology trends and a keen understanding of ITs role in achieving business goals. The U.S. edition of the magazine and website are recipients of more than 200 awards to date, including three Grand Neals from the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Awards and two Magazine of the Year awards from the National Society of Business Publication Editors. CIO websites and magazines appear in more than 25 countries, including Australia, Canada, China, France and Germany. CIO, and sister brand CSO, are produced by CXO Media a subsidiary of International Data Group (IDG), the worlds leading technology media, research and event company.