LOS ANGELES, Calif., Oct. 29, 2002 -- The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), which owns and operates one of the largest water systems in the United States, was presented with the "Gold Award for Competitiveness Achievement" by the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA).
"I am extremely proud that LADWP's water organization has been recognized by AMWA for our industry-leading efforts to offer high quality, reliable water in what continues to be a dynamic and challenging environment," said David Wiggs, LADWP general manager.
"The award is a credit not only to the hard working and committed water services workforce, but LADWP's pledge to making operational improvements, enforcing policies, and delivering substantial investments to ensure superior water quality for years to come."
The nationally recognized award, handed out at the AMWA's annual meeting, signifies the Department's innovation, industry-leading managerial skills and leadership in water services. James McDaniel, LADWP's manager of water quality and operations, accepted the award on behalf of the City of Los Angeles.
LADWP will spend $2 billion over the next ten years on continued water system improvements to the massive 7,100-mile distribution system. The major investment will help ensure that the Department continues to meet increasingly stringent drinking water standards and public health requirements.
"It's an honor for LADWP's Water Services Organization to be recognized for the hard work, innovative ideas, and dedication to customers that started more than 100 years ago and continues on to this day," said Gerald Gewe, LADWP assistant general manager, water.
"This award also belongs to the residents of Los Angeles, who have embraced and remain committed to LADWP's water conservation program," Gewe added. "This joint commitment that we share with our customers was demonstrated earlier this year when we distributed, at no charge, the one- millionth ultra low-flush toilet, as part of a program which is saving millions of gallons of precious water."
Winners of the AMWA's Gold Award met goals for overall efficiency, cost of operation and quality of service. Award applicants were rated on their use of labor-management task forces to reengineer work process, implementing programs for evaluating customer satisfaction and employing proactive measures to ensure or improve their bond ratings. Winners were noted for having effective plans in place for systematically replacing and rehabilitating their production and delivery system infrastructure to help ensure adequate future water supplies.
All award entries received peer review and were judged by water system executives. The judges evaluated each utility's benchmarking and competitiveness strategy and assessed improvement in the areas of plant, maintenance, engineering, finance, administration, and employee development.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the largest municipal utility in the nation, was established 100 years ago to provide water and electric needs to the city's residents and businesses, serving more than 3.8 million people in Los Angeles. For more information about the LADWP, log on to www.ladwp.com.
SOURCE: Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
