About Utility of the Future Today

The sponsoring organizations for this recognition program understand that substantial excellence in the operations of wastewater treatment systems exists today. Many utilities optimize and continually improve their operations, consistently meet or exceed their regulatory requirements, plan and invest effectively for the maintenance, repair, and replacement of their infrastructure, and engage their employees and communities in meaningful and productive ways.

The Utility of the Future Today Recognition Program seeks to reach deeply into the water sector to form and motivate a community of like-minded water utilities engaged in advancing resource efficiency and recovery, developing proactive relationships with stakeholders, and establishing resilient, sustainable, and livable communities. Details of the UotFT requirements are included in the application (see https://wef.secure-platform.com/a).

The Recognition Program, through the aggregation and sharing of utility advancements and experiences, will enable participants across a broad continuum of capacities and capabilities to learn from each other and continually grow and sustain their efforts to be, and continually advance the concept of, the Utility of the Future.

Utilities receiving recognition through this program are expected to share their practices and experiences to create a community of practice around the Utility of the Future Today and to enable other utilities to continually learn from each other and evolve as a sector.

The “Water Resources Utility of the Future” was first articulated in a 2013 publication jointly prepared by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the Water Environment Federation (WEF), and the Water Research Foundation (WRF). The Water Resources Utility of the Future Blueprint for Action sought to capture in one place current, emergent, and possible wastewater utility opportunities that, packaged together, presented a revolutionary future for the sector. That revolution would transform the traditional wastewater treatment system to a community-based resource recovery center and leader in the overall sustainability and resilience of the communities they serve.

While a variety of initiatives exist to promote and acknowledge excellent performance and sustainable management of utilities focused on our sector’s historic priorities – providing reliable, affordable, and responsible wastewater collection and treatment service, the most prominent of these is Effective Utility Management (EUM). While EUM is not a requirement for recognition under this program, utilities are encouraged to use the EUM framework as they seek to become a Utility of the Future.