Enabling Lean Water Operations: Transforming Data Into Information is Critical for 

Driving Efficiency for Renewable Water Resources (ReWa) 

Randy Boyette, Senior Process Control Officer, Renewable Water Resources 

Chuck Scholpp, Director IIM Business Unit, Hach 

Gabi Miles, IIM Product Manager, Hach 

ABSTRACT 

Today, the water/wastewater industry faces many challenges. Budgets are tight and regulations 

are constantly changing. More than 60 percent of the workforce is expected to retire in the next 

four years, meaning decades of knowledge retention will need to be passed on to the next 

generation of water/wastewater operators. Additionally, not only are we seeing the need for more 

and more data collection, but also analysis of critical data, which has led to information overload. 

With all of these challenges taken into consideration, data collection needs to be simplified. 

In line with WEF’s Five Principles and Ten Attributes of Effectively Managed Water Sector 

Utilities, implementing a lean organization for the water/wastewater industry supports these 

basic tenets and helps organizations address the growing challenges they are facing regarding 

constant change, reduced budgets and increasing regulations. Taking a lean approach to the 

water industry provides utility managers with a clear roadmap for how to improve their 

organization-wide performance. “Lean” is a concept that applies to every business and process. 

Essentially, it is a methodology to help deal with constant change. For the water/wastewater 

industry, going lean means automating processes, utilizing technology and ultimately, optimizing 

the business. 

Renewable Water Resources (ReWa) brings a real world example of how the early stages of 

implementing a lean operation is beginning to have a major impact on the water utility’s 

operating efficiencies. 

ReWa realized significant benefits by embracing lean concepts. Findings to date include: 

 Facility savings of as much as $232,000 a year in solids management and chemical usage 

 Savings of over 200 hours per year on planning and travel the various facilities 

 Facilitates close monitoring of aging equipment, allowing better preventive maintenance, 

reducing costs and increasing efficiency 

 Supports decision making and improves the budgeting process 

 Provides accurate data for construction and optimization projects 

 Reduces the learning curve for bringing new operators up-to-speed, keeping skillsets sharp 

KEYWORDS 

Lean operations, efficiency, water/wastewater, data management, water information 

management, Hach, ReWa 

INTRODUCTION 
In today’s economy, finding ways to “do more with less” extends to virtually every business, 

government and education institution. Plain and simple, the days of “business as usual” are a 

thing of the past as economic and social pressures mandate more efficiency, accountability and 

performance. The water and wastewater industry has greatly improved its own performance and 

the value delivered to communities by adopting lean principles – by leveraging new technology 

and processes to modernize the industry. This paper outlines four tips and a case study to 

illustrate lean principles that water and wastewater facilities can incorporate into their daily 

operations to “do more with less” in the face of ever-changing regulations and tight budget 

constraints. 

Renewable Water Resources (ReWa), located in Greenville, South Carolina, is embracing lean 

concepts and has realized real savings and efficiency gains across the organization. ReWa 

currently operates nine wastewater treatment plants and one of the Southeast’s largest liquid 

biosolids land application program. ReWa has developed a solid, 20-year strategic plan that is 

reviewed regularly and provides for efficient utility operation. Employee safety and Zero NonCompliance are top priorities at ReWa.

This paper outlines Lean concepts, four actionable tips for Lean Operations and how they are 

applied at ReWa to achieve efficiencies and sustainable results. 

 Taking a holistic approach to operations 

 Creating a lean culture 

 Automating manual processes 

 Achieving lean sustainability 

TAKING A LEAN APPROACH 

The Lean Institute points out: “Lean applies in every business and every process. It is not a tactic 

or a cost reduction program, but a way of thinking and acting for an entire organization.” The 

fundamental concept is to systematically identify and eliminate wasteful elements in processes 

until an organization is executing its purpose at the highest level possible. When that happens, 

greater value is created for the customer, the processes within the organization are optimized and 

the people running the processes are aligned with actions that enable them to continually deliver 

what’s most important. 

Looking specifically at the water and wastewater industry there are many challenges and 

opportunities for lean thinking to have a positive impact on operations. Not surprising, budget 

constraints, with a public that is highly resistant to rate increases and facilities increasingly 

expected to do more with less, is a big concern. Adapting to the ever-changing regulations poses 

the risk of fines, citizen complaints, reputation, or worse, environmental impact or public health. 

Within the workplace, knowledge retention is a main concern as an aging workforce prepares to 

retire. More data is being generated and employees are being asked to make the difficult 

transition from being collectors and reporters of data to being data analysts and knowledge 

workers. 

The need to achieve higher efficiencies and reduce operational inaccuracies is driving positive 

changes in how water and wastewater treatment utilities operate. Embracing lean and supporting 
lean thinking with new technologies and methods is helping facilities meet these goals and cope 

with the many challenges that they face. The fundamental concept of Lean Operations is to 

systematically identify inefficiencies and put more focus on improving the overall value of the 

system. 

THE CASE FOR LEAN OPERATIONS 

There are numerous ongoing issues that impact water and wastewater utilities but, according to 

AWWA’s State of the Industry Report 2010, business issues are the most pressing challenges 

that they face. Simply stated – the cost of operations continues to increase while rates remain 

flat. Meanwhile, capital investment into rehabilitation and new infrastructure is not keeping pace 

with current and projected demands. 

In addition, complying with increasing federal and state regulations is financially burdensome. 

The legacy approaches taken to monitor and document the treatment processes can be inefficient 

and inaccurate. Relying on labor-intensive, manual data logging contributes to violations, 

subsequent fines and expensive-to-implement process changes. Compounding the costs 

associated with compliance is the increasing public awareness of drinking water quality issues, 

ranging from upstream discharge from wastewater facilities into pristine waterways to the chance 

of pharmaceuticals and metals seeping into water supplies, which of course leads to more 

requirements and the added burden of addressing them. 

Another industry issue that is looming is the “brain drain” as long-time employees, who 

constitute the bulk of the workforce, near retirement. It is estimated that the number of 

employees currently active, yet at retirement age, is close to 200,000. While this large group of 

seasoned professionals is currently delaying their departure from the workplace, because 

retirement funds have been reduced and the economy is unstable, a positive shift in the economy 

will compel them to eventually move into retirement. When that happens, the challenge of 

replacing them and preserving the knowledge they possess, will swell. 

To meet these challenges, water and wastewater utilities need to look for efficiencies in 

treatment processes and business management. Lean principles need to be continually evaluated 

and applied. As in other industries, lean principles and technologies that help optimize and 

automate the business can be integrated to create a platform for dealing with constant change. 

BECOMING A LEAN OPERATION 

What does the water/wastewater utility customer want? The Lean Operations process starts with 

realizing that water and wastewater customers want the highest quality product at the lowest 

prices. For this industry it is relatively easy to define: provide total customer and community 

value – which in Lean terms is the purpose – while overcoming the challenges previously 

described. The four principles of Lean Operations provide opportunity as well as challenges for 

the industry. 
1. Taking a holistic approach to operations 

In a Lean Operation every person, resource and process within the plant is dependent upon one 

another and should be managed in unison. Achieving Lean Operations calls for identifying each 

point in the process, assessing it to determine if it is necessary and then deciding what action 

needs to be taken to optimize that point for maximum value at the lowest cost. Identifying all the 

steps in the value stream and eliminating unnecessary steps that do not create value is part of 

looking at the processes with a lean perspective. 

Technology can be leveraged in the overall assessment of operations, to complement the 

knowledge that operators have and the observations that they make. Teams may want to gather 

and analyze data across the utility, from operations and field data to lab results. Consider 

including third-party back-office systems associated with accounting, GIS, weather service, 

pretreatment and CMMS software to complete the picture. This centralized view of enterprisewide data is a central element to increased collaboration across departments and functions, and 

helps facilitate a collective mindset and decision-making process that leads to the elimination of 

wasteful practices and promotes a leaner, more efficient operation. 

A related component of lean thinking is: Make the value-creating steps occur in tight sequence 

so the product will flow smoothly toward the customer. It’s important to keep in mind that what 

the service utilities provide is a product. And, ensuring that the product is available as needed, 

with the right quality and at the lowest cost possible, is realized through continual monitoring of 

the processes and equipment. When operators know what is happening throughout the plant, they 

can use diagnostics to keep assets functional, anticipate problems, schedule preventive 

maintenance, eliminate downtime and look for opportunities to optimize operations. What’s new 

here is the ability to see the big picture; that perspective creates the ability to more proactively 

marshal operations. 

Applying a holistic approach does not need to be a big-bang transformation. Water and 

wastewater utilities can start small by having facility, operations, managers and back-office 

staffers attend meetings associated with business, operations and resource allocation. Have 

managers rotate through facility, maintenance and operations departments to experience day-today practices that are either working or not working. Provide reports with operational, workflow, 

asset allocation and field and lab data in dashboard-view in a central meeting area. And, provide 

visibility and the opportunity to share suggestions and ideas that will lead to continuous 

improvement. These steps will help establish a culture of lean, where effective problem solving 

and continuous improvement can take root. 

2. Creating a Culture of Lean 

Improving processes and harnessing the power of technology is only part of the Lean Operations 

equation. Much of the success of lean comes from cultural changes that encourage openness, the 

freedom to question the status quo and a willingness to reflect on the past as a means of 

instituting new ideas that will improve future performance. The goal of Lean is to open up the 

work process and abolish the usual hierarchies, thereby empowering each and every team 

member, regardless of “rank,” to have input on issues large and small. 
A key principle of lean is to “speak with data.” Therefore, technology that enhances data 

collection and communication must be used to transform the disparate data points into useable 

and impactful information that can drive sound decisions. The days in which years of operator 

experience traditionally was requisite to performing the job needs to morph into a science-based 

process. A utility can use the data to prove to those resistant to change that eliminating wasteful 

steps in a process or making other changes will ultimately benefit the organization and, 

consequently, them. 

3. Automating manual processes 

Supplanting manual data collection in the field and the facility with computer-based data 

gathering, communication and analysis is a prime example of how automation can improve 

technician productivity and business management. Equipment suppliers, software vendors and 

even the EPA are all moving to integrate and automate the data gathering, reporting and sharing 

lifecycle. Water and wastewater operators should take it upon themselves to learn, reach and 

become an active participant in the development and adoption of new technologies that replace 

and enhance tried and true manual process that worked for years, but are no longer viable. 

Today, utilities can gather and show visibility into the entire system, and feed data back into 

operations, asset management, supply purchasing and equipment maintenance operations. 

Superior data collection and communication drastically cuts time lost by operators – letting them 

focus on running the plant. Utilizing automation afforded through technology provides 

actionable data that can help quickly create regulatory and business reports, and improve 

operational efficiencies. 

4. Achieving Lean sustainability 

Constant change is part of lean, just as it is part of the water/wastewater treatment industry. Lean 

Operations calls for its own form of sustainability – by revisiting lean processes again and again, 

and improving them on an ongoing basis. It is the concept of “Plan-Do-Check-Act” framework. 

This concept mirrors the philosophy that is inspiring industry leaders to implement lean 

approaches and to create an organizational culture that embraces the notion of change and is 

committed to continuous improvement. Combining lean thinking with the advantages of 

automation, visibility, accuracy, improved analytics and the ability to realize a holistic approach 

to operations is helping utilities provide the highest quality of community service while 

improving efficiencies and fiscal performance. 

Wringing more efficiency out of already well-functioning operations depends on having access 

to and leveraging reports, visual graphs, dashboards and other resources as a means of 

establishing a data-driven decision making process. New technology is available to allow for the 

visual management of metrics, and business intelligence solutions are emerging for improved 

visibility, both at the high level and down to a focus on a single device, making it possible to 

more effectively extend lean principles across the organization. 

Managing water, as well as the resources and facilities that treat it throughout both the water and 

wastewater lifecycle, makes “sustainability” a crucial component of the overall Lean Operations 

mix. 
LEAN OPERATIONS IN ACTION: ReWa - A REAL WORLD EXAMPLE 

Renewable Water Resources (ReWa), located in Greenville, South Carolina, currently operates 

nine wastewater treatment plants and one of the Southeast’s largest liquid biosolids land 

application program. Providing water reclamation to more than 400,000 people in five counties, 

its service area spans 296 square miles and includes three river basins. ReWa releases treated 

water at the headwaters of the Reedy and Saluda rivers, and into Durbin Creek. ReWa has 

developed a solid, 20-year strategic plan that is reviewed regularly and provides for efficient 

utility operation. The plan incorporates includes a holistic approach and provides more 

transparency across the organization to allow for “leaner” operations and to continuously 

streamline operations. 

Business Situation 

 ReWa was an early adopter of data management software. In 1989, the Durbin Creek Facility 

purchased its first personal computer and prototype data management software designed for 

water and wastewater monitoring. This early version allowed the plant to store up to six 

months of data in a single location; develop complex equations to monitor Mixed Liquor 

Suspended Solids (MLSS) and to graphically view data. 

 The success of the Durbin Creek solution led to a networked implementation at the Mauldin 

Road Facility in 1995. The data analysis was still limited to a single plant, but allowed better 

access for facility personnel and its support groups. 

 In 2003, the software was installed at each treatment plant. While improving the quality of 

the individual operations by automating and streamlining data entry and having data 

available locally, it was difficult to share information and to maintain consistency across all 

of the treatment plants. As a work-around to getting a complete picture, ReWa used 

spreadsheets to collect the data from each facility. This meant travel was required to each site 

to gather the information, causing delays in data availability and introducing data errors. 

Information Systems staff struggled to manage multiple versions of software which included 

multiple links to SCADA systems, multiple installations and multiple software 

updates/upgrades as well as maintaining large spreadsheets. 

Blake Visin, director of Information Services, discussed another repercussion: “Historical data is 

essential to optimized daily operations. I was counting on operators to verify that the backup was 

complete and the data was safe. I often found myself wondering if we had adequate redundancy 

in place.” 

Even though each plant had the capability to monitor and track trends through WIMS, the full 

capacity of central management and optimization had not yet been fully realized. 

Solution: Central Management of Data Makes it Sustainable 

In order to solve the problem and build a multi-facility network, ReWa procured a standalone 

server for its central operations office. This central server hosts the data management software 

and acts as the primary location for ReWa’s database, housing all the plant data and allowing 

remote access. The central server approach has significant benefits, including increased security, 
easier backups and a database that everyone can access. The Information Technology department 

provides a Terminal Services approach, essentially giving all authorized users remote access to 

the data. Each facility or regional foreman can securely log onto the system and check data or 

run reports. IT retains control over the network and license management, and updates are done 

from the central location. Servers at the other facilities act as backup systems, providing the 

redundancy that prevents a single device failure from disrupting productivity. 

ReWa implemented the centrally hosted network version of Water Information Management 

Solution (WIMS) throughout its facility network to: 

 Drive efficiency and improve decision-making based on timely data 

 Increase communication and understanding of operations by providing authorized users at all 

levels of the organization easy access to the data 

 Increase the ability to automate reliable transmission of accurate data to a central database 

 Establish a secure backup and recovery contingency alternative 

 Ensure a secure environment 

The data management tool has improved insight into operations across all facilities and the 

system as a whole. Eleven years ago, ReWa incurred more than 100 NPDES permit noncompliance issues. This year, all facilities earned NACWA awards with four awards being 

platinum ratings for zero non-compliance in the past five years. 

 

WIMS enables ReWa to focus on compliance; potentially saving the South Carolina counties it 

serves hundreds of thousands of dollars. Non-compliance can be expensive. In addition to 

damaging the organization’s reputation in the community, non-compliance could result in 

significant fines. The Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) could put a 

moratorium on local building or a shutdown order on specific industries — the effect of which 

ripples out across the regional businesses. 

Zero Non-Compliance 

Named Zero Non-Compliance, ReWa’s approach to driving quality and success centers on a goal 

to prevent all compliance discrepancies. Randy Boyette, ReWa’s senior process control officer, 

describes the shift that has occurred within the organization. “Zero Non-Compliance is a top 

priority preceded only by employee safety. We used to focus on money and budgeting. That’s 

changed. And as a result of focusing on operations, managing the budget has gotten easier.” 

Given this initiative, Boyette asked the question: "What tools can we use every day to show what 

problems we have?” In response, ReWa started build dashboards (Figure 1) that identify the key 

areas that plant operators need to monitor daily. Alarms tied to those key indicators warn 

operators when any process data goes into the red. "We programmed those alarms especially for 

operators, so they can see where their problems are and quickly take measures to correct them,” 

said Boyette. 
Figure 1: Personalized dashboards provide fast access to information and allow monitoring 

of key performance indicators 

Proactive Compliance and Pretreatment 

The pretreatment group also uses WIMS to spot trends within the data. Monitoring variations in 

phosphorus, ammonia and pH levels may provide an early indication of an influent problem. By 

getting timely data, the group can use WIMS to correlate information to specific industrial 

discharges. It can then work with the industries to identify potential sources and develop 

mutually beneficial solutions. WIMS reduces the amount of time the group would otherwise 

have to spend looking across all industries. 

Because data is stored in a secure database and is easily accessible, the compliance team can 

work on the same data with the operations personnel to differentiate simple outliers from real 

problems. With effortless access to WIMS data, the team is not reliant on operator availability to 

provide data for analysis. 

Figure 2: TKN is a required parameter for regulatory reporting and helps to monitor 

plant operations 
Optimized Operations 

With compliance as the center focus of ReWa’s operations, it might be expected that efficiency 

takes a back seat. But by having relevant, meaningful data at hand, operators can improve plant 

operations as well. IS Director Visin says, “Compliance is the driving factor. But with that under 

control, we can start looking at efficiencies." And ReWa has found ways to optimize. 

Area managers used to spend at least two hours a day traveling to plants for status checks and 

operational information. Now, through personalized dashboards, everyone can have quick 

access in minutes to needed data and input forms without incurring the time and cost of visiting 

the various sites as frequently. 

Biosolids management, a critical part of the wastewater treatment process, can be a costly 

operation for systems as large as ReWa. In the past, the Biosolids Manager had to call all the 

plants every morning and every afternoon to get all the tank levels and adjust transportation 

schedules. This simple task took roughly one-to-two hours of the manager’s week. Using WIMS, 

which is connected to each plant, the Biosolids Manager can use a personalized dashboard 

(Figure 3) to see the tank levels across the entire system. The instant access to the live data 

allows the Biosolids Manager to invest time on the more critical tasks of quality control and 

customer relations. 

The ability to see trends across significant periods is especially important for managing tank 

levels and truck usage. Efficient biosolids dewatering is essential for cost effective transportation 

and to meet the strict requirements for land application or other methods of disposition. The 

Process Control department developed a WIMS entry sheet for the solids procedure at each 

plant. The process is designed to increase solids digestion and to help thicken biosolids. Using 

long-term trends, it was able to identify a direct correlation between current solids set points and 

the real output. By running tests several times a day and making “on the fly” adjustments, the 

biosolids concentration was increased from three to four percent, which resulted in a 20 percent 

reduction of the solids management budget; a $200,000 savings. As part of a pilot study, one 

facility will be experimenting with automatic solids meters in hopes of driving efficiency up to 

five percent. The solids management group is able to land apply their biosolids to nearly 9,000 

acres of farmland, which is estimated to increase to nearly 11,000 acres in the near future. 

 Figure 3: Dashboards that monitor tank levels save time and increase efficiencies 
Figure 4: Monitoring polymer usage is essential to efficient operations 

Optimizing operations includes maintaining and replacing equipment. In the past, operators at 

the plant would put in an order for equipment maintenance. Often, the maintenance team would 

inspect the equipment and determine that the equipment was within operational specifications, 

contrary to what the operators observed. Using WIMS, operators now can provide the 

maintenance team with long-term trend data showing that efficiency has dropped as equipment 

has aged. This data shows the return on investment of replacing aging equipment as well as 

performing preventative and routine maintenance. 

Improved Finance and Budgeting Processes – “Speak with Data” 

Managing the finances across multiple facilities can be a daunting task. In the past, yearly budget 

reports took each plant days to complete. The task required them to sort through pages of data, 

calculations and costs for the current year. Historical data was too difficult to obtain and factor 

in. Kevin James, east division manager, explained the benefits of using WIMS to track 

operational costs: "Before, we used Excel spreadsheets, one for each month. Now, instead of the 

tedious and potentially inaccurate exercise of manually reviewing spreadsheets every 30 days, 

we can just run a report." Using WIMS, they create automatically populated entry sheets for 

every plant that show all expenditures in real-time. In contrast, the finance department 

sometimes took over a month when getting expenditure information back to the plant. Using the 

real-time data, operators can make informed decisions. Having timely data also allows plant 

managers to track trends, plan budgets and make operational decisions with the confidence of 

knowing that they have accurate data. 

 

Plant managers now can develop budgets with actual data. The conversations around budget 

needs are fact-based versus relying on supposition and instinct. Managers can examine budget 

spreadsheets, identify adverse trends, and formulate in-depth root cause analysis. Solutions can 

be quickly devised by analyzing long-term trends and comparing them to current parameter 

deviations. For a single plant, trends that go unmanaged can quickly cost $5,000-$10,000 in 
misused chemicals. Magnifying those costs across eight plants can suddenly result in serious 

budget issues. 

David Skyles, the Lower Reedy plant foreman, explains the value of watching chemical usage 

through WIMS on a daily basis. “By monitoring actual use of chemicals, like lime, we can 

identify usage that is out of the norm and adjust quickly. By doing just that, I can save as much 

as $32,000 a year with minimal effort." 

 

WIMS gives Skyles the high-level perspective he needs to manage overall quality 

assurance/quality control (QAQC). "We can QAQC the plant quickly and see something 

immediately out of whack. It tells us if we either have a process that’s not within specification, 

have equipment running poorly, or a little bit of human error.” Gilder /Durbin Plant Foreman 

David Collyer agrees. “And more than one person has the ability to look at it. The more eyes that 

review the data, the more likely we are to catch an error.” 

This streamlined access to performance data is saving ReWa at least 20 hours per plant, or 

roughly 200 hours per year, in budget reporting alone. And the savings aren’t just for time spent 

budgeting. Operators also benefit by having historical data that they can reflect on annually to 

see the year-over-year seasonal variations and make process adjustments to compensate. This 

type of analysis was nearly impossible prior to the easy availability of long-term data. 

Accurate Data Drives Efficiency 

In a pilot study, ReWa is monitoring digester experiments in an attempt to create more methane. 

By identifying how much gas can be created under alternative scenarios, it can determine the size 

of the methane-fueled combined heat and power (CHP) generators it will be building for the 

plant. 

At one of the plants involved in the pilot, a gas flow meter was malfunctioning and entered an 

incorrect reading into the database. Using WIMS, the facilities foreman was able to identify the 

incorrect data using two months of data. The engineers building the CHP generators must have 

exact measurements or the generators will be built out of spec. The erroneous data would have 

resulted in an undersized CHP generator. 

Consultant and engineering firm requests for data are common. Fulfilling such requests for data 

ranges of six months to 10 years can be a daunting task. Boyette says that now he can respond 

while the consultants are still on the phone. It is a capability that saves Process Control team 

members, like Boyette, significant amounts of time. 

“That historic data is critical from an engineering perspective when we are considering an 

upgrade or change in process. I can't estimate the physical time it would take to pull that history 

otherwise,” Boyette said. Money also can be saved by engaging the engineering firms 

judiciously. Having easily accessible data not only saves time, it allows ReWa to set up their 

own studies, saving engineering costs. 

Improved Training 
The ReWa Process Control group also uses WIMS for training plant operators. The efficient tool 

inspires the new operators to take the initiative to look at the data and get insight into the 

operations and trends that are affecting the plant. The Process Control group travels once a year 

to provide advanced WIMS training that helps each facility learn how to use the tools more 

effectively. Using WIMS, operator and facility personnel training is provided monthly to keep 

skillsets sharp. Using the visual tools in WIMS, trends and correlations can easily be laid out for 

new trainees so that they can quickly see plant operating levels and history. 

Collier sums up, “I think it speeds up the learning process greatly. WIMS helps trainees look at 

raw data, manipulate it, and be proactive. Because they can see it, they learn much faster. It's not 

just a set of data points. It gives meaning to the data points. And, it gives them a way to apply the 

data.” 

Results 

 Facility savings of as much as $200,000 a year in solids management 

 Facility savings of as much as $32,000 a year in chemical usage 

 Reduces solids management planning time by one-to-two hours a week 

 Cuts as much as 100 hours per year of time on the road for area managers and the Process 

Control team and enables better plant performance management 

 Facilitates close monitoring of aging equipment, allowing better preventive maintenance, 

reducing costs and increasing efficiency 

 Supports decision making and improves the budgeting process 

 Reduces the amount of time needed to respond to engineering firms and consultants – from 

days to minutes 

 Provides accurate data for construction and optimization projects 

 Reduces the learning curve for bringing new operators up-to-speed, keeping skillsets sharp 

CONCLUSION 

The progress made at both the managerial and operational level within our industry is significant 

and continues to advance. The concepts within Lean Operations build upon that progress as 

illustrated by the work being done at ReWa and elsewhere, and provide an outline for revisiting 

and adjusting the improvement processes continuously, and to use automation technology to 

drive holistic improvements throughout the organization. Lean Operations for water and 

wastewater is intended to help utilities drive even more efficiencies from day-to-day operations, 

while creating the “lean sustainability” to deliver the highest level of service over the long haul. 

Its central concern is minimizing inefficient efforts and resources, and to leverage new 

technology and processes to modernize the industry. ReWa is realizing the impact such an 

approach can have on fulfilling its mission of providing comprehensive, sustainable water and 

wastewater management solutions that promotes public, economic and environmental health. 

REFERENCES