INTEGRATING MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS in CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

While the fundamental theories of water and wastewater treatment and operations have remained virtually unchanged over the last one hundred years, the overwhelming pressures on the modern utility to achieve ever-higher levels of performance have precipitated monumental challenges. These challenges range from providing a higher level of service with diminished resources, greater regulatory demands, new, as well as replacement of, infrastructure, and the overall public perception that questions the quality of services and products as well as the performance level of public utilities. To respond to these challenges, Charleston CPW has implemented an environmental management system (EMS) that has served as a framework for other programs such as the Partnership for Safe Water (PSW) and collection system cMOM. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate through a case study how various management initiatives have been integrated together to achieve an economy of scale, a greater level of planning, and a more robust utility operation.