Water Loss Audit Follow-up – Part 4 Policies and Procedures

A series on Water Loss Audits wouldn’t be complete without some mention of documentation and record-keeping. This is a very important, but often overlooked aspect of a water utility: written policies and procedures.

Documentation is a critical part of any organization as administration changes, staff members retire or are hired in, and paperwork turns digital. Water utilities can be entities with complex, decades-long histories which might only be stored in the minds of long-term staff members. These staff members know the utility’s policies and procedures, but what about everyone else?

The Water Loss Audit emphasizes having written policies and procedures to encourage utilities to document how and when things should be done and make this knowledge available for anyone who needs it. This helps to ensure continuity of maintenance and operations over time. Written policies and procedures can be beneficial on the business side, such as identifying if particular connections are exempt from billing (such as municipal buildings) and outlining procedures for internal auditing of billing data. It is also important to have written policies and procedures for maintenance and testing.

Written policies and procedures can be easily created and maintained as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) or an Asset Management Plan. Commonwealth would be happy to discuss options to for your utility! Contact Us today!