Caples Lake Main Dam Outlet Works Repair Project: Nexus of Seven EUM Attributes

Highly successful public utility agencies often find themselves in situations where favorable outcomes require the seamless integration of several of the ten attributes of effective utility management (EUM). This paper features a recent example of an emergency water supply and operations challenge that required outreach to and transparent communications with regulators, resource managers, business owners, residents, and visitors to a high-elevation, multi-purpose reservoir. The project overcame challenges and achieved success through the confluence of the following EUM attributes: stakeholder understanding and support, operational optimization, operational resiliency, infrastructure stability, water resource adequacy, employee and leadership development, and community sustainability. The overall lesson is that while a utility may develop several EUM attributes, the measure of effectiveness is in synchronizing several attributes into a common theme, purpose and mission, especially when emergencies arise.