November 2, 2006

Santa Clara Valley Water District wins national recognition

The Santa Clara Valley Water District is one of a handful of water agencies in the country that has been honored for its long-term excellence in water utility management.

As one of nine winners of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies’ 2006 Platinum Award for Competitiveness Achievement, the water district is being singled out for sustained improvements in its water-management operations.

The award was presented recently to Santa Clara Valley Water District officials at AMWA’s annual conference in Charleston, S.C.

“The Santa Clara Valley Water District board is pleased that our efforts of continued improvements are being recognized on a national level,” said Larry Wilson, chairman of the water district board of directors.

“Our investments in operational effectiveness and in our employees are paying dividends and setting a national model.”

The AMWA award recognizes an organization’s effort over time to improve its organizational performance in light of increasing challenges.

Over the past decade, the Santa Clara Valley Water District has faced numerous challenges, including stricter drinking water standards, assuming a greater role as Santa Clara County’s environmental steward, and becoming more efficient and transparent.

To meet those challenges, the water district adopted an organizational vision of doing business in a “cleaner, greener, leaner” manner.

To help achieve the vision, the district adopted the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Program Framework for improving organizational performance; integrated a four-tier performance-measurement “dashboard;” earned ISO9001 and ISO14001 certification, and became certified as an environmentally sound entity under Santa Clara County’s “Green Business” program.

The water district was honored by AMWA in 2002 with a Gold Award, which recognizes agencies’ accomplishments toward achieving competitive improvements. The Platinum Award recognizes the water district’s ability to sustain those improvements.

“The Platinum Award winners have established a track record of management excellence, continuously applying best-management practices to meet the public’s requirements for safe water and low-cost service,” said Mark Premo, general manager of Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility and president of AMWA. “Improvement gains from effectiveness and efficiency have been reinvested to enhance quality, increase customer satisfaction and control rates.”

Formed in 1929 to respond to shrinking groundwater basins, the Santa Clara Valley Water District is the primary water-management agency in the county. It provides drinking water to 13 municipal and private retail water companies, serving nearly 1.8 million residents.

It manages the county’s major watersheds, including 10 reservoirs, more than 800 miles of streams and large groundwater basins. In addition, the water district also provides flood protection throughout Santa Clara County.