PIONEERING PUBLIC UTILITY MANAGEMENT USING PRIVATE SECTOR IDEAS

Today's public utilities are being challenged. They must address significant capital improvements while facing demands of stabilized competitive rates. The bottom line is ‐‐ more for less. Utilities are repeatedly facing two choices: privatize or optimize. Privatization of utility operations has realized significant growth and served as a major catalyst in improving publicsector performance and cost accountability through increased efficiency. This option, however, involves transferring control of the utility operation to the private sector. A second option gaining increased recognition is Competitive Utility Operations™ (CUO™)—the implementation of private-sector efficiency techniques by the public sector through training, collaboration, automation, and implementation of state-of-the-art management techniques. Numerous success stories are emerging nationwide, demonstrating the public sector's ability to meet the challenge and achieve efficiency with assistance. The Topeka, Kansas Water Pollution Control Division (WPCD)—a division of the Topeka Public Works Department (PWD) is one of the success stories.