Arizona American Water earns prize for management innovation

Arizona American Water was awarded second prize in the National Association of Water Companies’ 2009 Management Innovation Awards for water conservation efforts in the Northwest Valley.

“I am proud to have such a dedicated operations team working at Arizona American Water, with the capability to create sustainable and innovative solutions”, said Paul Townsley, president of Arizona American Water.

The award was presented at the 5th National Drinking Water Symposium Oct. 13. The annual Management Innovation Awards recognizes new and innovative programs that promote better water service, wider recognition of the industry and improved utility management.

Arizona American Water’s operations team received the award for significantly reducing water consumption at its Northwest Valley Regional Water Reclamation Facility.

The operations team created a way to reuse water from the treated effluent by filtering it with a water filter intended for drinking water. By reusing the filtered water for operational purposes, the team drastically reduced purchased water costs by more than 50 percent annually, and – at the time of the award nomination – the facility estimated a water savings of more than 12 million gallons a year.

Since the nomination was submitted, the facility has obtained new data that shows the actual savings is more than 20 million gallons of water per year.

“American Water exemplifies the high level of commitment our industry has to our customers and to the communities in which we do business,” said Michael Deane, executive director of the NAWC. “NAWC members have pioneered numerous environmental sustainability practices and always strive to practice what they preach when it comes to water conservation. The winning management innovation programs of these three companies represent the best of the best in those areas.”