ALBUQUERQUE BERNALILLO COUNTY
WATER UTILITY AUTHORITY
BILL NO. R-24-5 |
RESOLUTION
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Establishing One Year Objectives for the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority in Fiscal Year 2025 to Meet Goals
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WHEREAS, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority’s (Water Authority) Budget Policies and Procedures Ordinance specifies that the Water Authority shall annually review and adopt one-year objectives related to the business system goals for the Water Authority; and
WHEREAS, the Water Authority’s operating budget shall be formulated by the Water Authority’s Executive Director and be consistent with the goals and objectives as established and approved by the Water Authority; and
WHEREAS, the Water Authority’s adoption of goals and objectives will be major factors in determining funding for Water Authority programs and improvements in both the operating budget and capital improvements budgets.
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE WATER AUTHORITY:
Section 1. That the Water Authority adopts the following goals and one-year objectives for Fiscal Year 2025.
GOAL 1. WATER SUPPLY AND OPERATIONS: Provide a reliable, safe, affordable, and sustainable water supply by transitioning to renewable supplies and minimizing long term environmental impacts on the community and natural resources while ensuring the ability of the community to grow in a responsible manner.
Objective 1. Develop a long-term strategy for utilizing existing wells that are currently out of service within the water system and identify priority Arsenic Treatment plant projects for design and construction by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 2. Complete the assessment that began in FY23 of the impact of widescale power outages upon water system production and pumping facilities by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25. Work directly with the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) and the Water Authority’s Geographical Information System (GIS) group to determine potential impact areas. Subsequently, engage the services of a hydraulic modeling consultant to perform strategic hydraulic modeling to assess resulting water supply capacity limitations and water outage timelines.
Objective 3. Develop and execute a program of regular inspections of the inventory of drinking water reservoirs at a frequency consistent with good practices for steel and concrete reservoir assets and American Water Works Association (AWWA) Partnership for Safe Water-Distribution goals by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 4. Monitor the following in the Maximo asset management system:
• Checklist for Groundwater Swing Shift Operators to complete the Swing Shift standard operating procedure (SOP) requirements for each site and report through the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
• Checklist for Groundwater Weekly Disinfection for operators to complete the chlorine generation equipment weekly data gathering in Maximo and report through the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
• Annual Groundwater Reservoir Exterior Inspection Program to annually document the condition of each reservoir. Report progress at the end of each quarter through the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 5. Submit annual treatment data to the Partnership for Safe Water - Treatment program for inclusion in the program’s annual report of aggregated system water quality data by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
• Maintain turbidities for each individual filter cell and for combined filter effluent at less than 0.1 nephelometric turbidity unit (NTU) more than 95% of time in operation.
• Continue work on items identified from the Phase 3 Self-Assessment that are not yet considered optimized and submit a progress report to AWWA.
• Continue working towards the application for the Phase IV Excellence in Water Treatment Award in the Partnership for Safe Water -Treatment.
Objective 6. Improve monitoring and trending of the Total Organic Compound (TOC) concentration and removal across the Water Treatment Plant to better predict potential Disinfection By-Product (DBP) formation in the distribution system. Continue to optimize TOC removal through enhanced coagulation and biologically active filtration by reporting quarterly data to assess seasonal TOC trends and removal metrics through the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 7. Develop a quarterly meter box inspection program for all meter routes that have been replaced with Automated Meter Infrastructure (AMI) devices (approximately 170,000 meters to date) by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25. This will include developing an inspection form for meter crews in GIS.
Objective 8. Develop an air release valve maintenance program by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25. Perform an initial inspection to determine the required maintenance for all air release valves or combination air vacuum valves on transmission lines, distribution lines 16-inch or larger, and well collector lines. There are 306 valves currently identified in GIS for the initial inspection.
Objective 9. Develop a corrosion monitoring inspection program by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25. This includes procuring the services of a National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE)-certified inspector to perform an inventory of all corrosion monitoring stations on San Juan Chama infrastructure, other potable, and non-potable transmission lines. There are 370 stations currently identified in GIS.
Objective 10. Submit annual distribution data to the Partnership for Safe Water - Distribution program for inclusion in the program’s annual report of aggregated system water quality data by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
• Continue work on items identified from the Phase 3 Self-Assessment that are not yet considered optimized and submit a progress report to AWWA.
Objective 11. To improve reliability and reduce interrupted water service, inspect at least 4,000 isolation valves by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 12. Analyze the current status of the Water Resources Management Strategy: Water 2120. Begin planning and collecting data to enable the 10-year update of Water 2120. Assemble datasets of climate data for the region utilizing the latest technology. Prepare for the update by analyzing current and future supply and demand scenarios by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 13. Support and advocate for the Water Authority’s interests on the Colorado River through the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
• Promote basin-wide collaboration and advocacy for sustainable water resources through continued leadership and support for the San Juan Chama Contractor’s Association.
• Plan for and begin implementation of the Colorado River Water Users Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which promotes municipal water conservation through conversions to drought-and climate-resilient landscaping, while maintaining vital urban landscapes and tree canopies that benefit our communities, wildlife, and the environment. Implement the MOU by decreasing Non-Functional Turf by 30%.
• Commission meetings as well as monthly updates from the New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC) to the San Juan-Chama contractors.
Objective 14. Work with the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) and Office of the State Engineer to begin aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) permitting by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 15. Implement the Rivers and Aquifers Protection Plan (RAPP), the Water Authority’s source water protection plan, through the following actions:
• Complete an update of locations and/or plume extent at known groundwater contamination sites within the Service Area by the 2nd Quarter of FY25; map the update to include updated data from sites in the 2018 groundwater contamination site map and newly established sites by the NMED;
• Track and review site data and documents for priority groundwater contamination sites through the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25;
• Collaborate and coordinate with other agencies, including support of the Water Protection Advisory Board (WPAB) through the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 16. To establish native water storage in Abiquiu Reservoir as approved by Congress, coordinate the update of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Water Control Manual and storage contract updates through the 2nd Quarter of FY25. Continue towards permitting and environmental approvals for Abiquiu Reservoir through the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 17. Conduct regular water quality monitoring of the Water Authority data gap well at the Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB) Bulk Fuels Facility jet fuel leak site through the end of FY25. Design, install and sample monitoring well(s) at the Hewlett Packard-Digital site.
Objective 18. With the goal to reduce water consumption, convert 10% of existing irrigation accounts that are within 200 feet of reuse lines to non-potable accounts by the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 19. Evaluate new ICI (Industrial, Commercial, Institutional) service requirements for additional water-saving policies and procedures by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 20. With the goal to reduce water consumption, develop automated leak notifications for customers with AMI meters by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25. Implement a 48-hour continuous usage alert for customers with AMI.
Objective 21. Develop a reuse water modeling program that maintains a centralized version of the reuse model to be utilized as the system develops by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 22. Complete three risk analyses utilizing the drinking water model by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25. Risk analysis to include pipeline failure between Simms Reservoir and the San Antonio Pressure Reducing Valves (PRV), limitations on the Lomas Reservoir due to a high point in the transmission line, and interconnection of transmission line 8E between Montgomery and Freeway Trunks.
Objective 23. Implement a Maximo-based Leak Detection Inspection process to track manual leak detection survey work, automate the WO process that results from leaks that are detected, and automate the back-end reporting of estimated annual water loss from leaks that are detected by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25. This process will ultimately replace the current spreadsheet-based system that the Leak Detection group uses.
Objective 24. Work with City and other project stakeholders to design and construct the Tijeras Advanced Water Treatment Plant (AWTP) and Tijeras Reuse Reservoir and Pump Station (RRPS) facilities at Mesa Del Sol to support the special industrial complex, including Maxeon and other entities, through the end of FY27.
GOAL 2. WASTEWATER COLLECTION AND OPERATIONS: Provide reliable, safe and affordable wastewater collection, treatment and reuse systems to protect the health of the Middle Rio Grande Valley by safeguarding the regional watershed, minimizing environmental impacts, and returning quality water to the Rio Grande for downstream users.
Objective 1. Seek recognition in the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) Peak Performance award program for excellence in permit compliance through the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 2. Continue work on the Partnership for Clean Water program for the Southside Water Reclamation Plant (SWRP) to optimize system operations and performance by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
• Continue work on outstanding items identified from the Phase 3 Self-Assessment that are not yet considered optimized and submit a progress report to AWWA.
Objective 3. Manage chemical usage and residual iron sludge from the Water Treatment Plant to maintain collection system corrosion and odor control, with a goal of zero odors, while considering impacts on wastewater treatment operations and effluent quality. Monitor and report metrics through the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25, including progress on Odor Control Station construction. Identify additional odor control stations as needed.
Objective 4. Continue to reduce sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs) in accordance with the Capacity, Management, Operation, and Maintenance (CMOM) Plan. Continue the manhole monitoring pilot study initiated in FY23 to diagnose flow patterns and provide advance alerts of downstream blockages. Provide final recommendations based on the pilot study by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 5. As part of the CMOM Program, continue to evaluate pilot modifications to the Sub-Basin cleaning program. Look at possible changes such as sub-basin cleaning frequency to optimize effectiveness of preventative maintenance cleaning to the lines most likely to spill. Provide final recommendations for modifications to the cleaning program by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 6. Install AMI devices in three additional vacuum station service areas to gather system performance data and respond quickly to low-vacuum conditions by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 7. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Pretreatment Program monitors compliance with the Water Authority’s Sewer Use and Wastewater Control Ordinance:
i. Monitor continuous discharge permitted industries 16 days per year or 4 days per quarter;
ii. Complete 16 industrial permit inspections each quarter;
iii. Complete 175 Food Service Establishment inspections each quarter; and
iv. Complete 52 dental office inspections each quarter.
Report on performance and percent of Sewer Users in compliance for each category each quarter during FY25.
Objective 8. NPDES Pretreatment Program is required to maintain a list of all Industrial Users (IU) within its service area as part of its Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) NPDES permit. The Pretreatment Program will conduct 12 Industrial User Survey inspections each quarter and evaluate all of them to determine the necessity of permitting within the quarter. When the users are identified as Significant Industrial Users (SIU), the program will permit the SIU within the next quarter. The FY25 Industrial User Surveys and permit necessity evaluations will focus on the Mercury Minimization Plan (MMP) SIC list with mercury discharge potential and the previously permitted hospitals as outlined in the MMP Implementation Program Objectives:
1. Evaluate previously permitted hospitals for permit necessity and start the permitting process for at least 50% of those needed.
• FY25 goal is to evaluate/permit 50% (4) hospitals at one (1) per quarter.
2. Evaluate mercury potential at 10-25% of industrial users on the SIC list per year.
• FY25 goal is to inspect/evaluate 19% (44) SIC facilities at 11 per quarter.
3. Evaluate the IU survey list and Permit at least 1 Industry per quarter.
Objective 9. Implement the 2024 Program Objectives outlined in the MMP 2023 Implementation Status Report sent to EPA.
1. Evaluate mercury potential at 10-25% (20-51) of dental facilities per year.
• FY25 goal is to sample/evaluate 18% (36) dental facilities at 9 per quarter.
Objective 10. In support of the Bosque Water Reclamation Plant, work collaboratively to develop actions, workflow, and an updated timeline for completion of the required planning/design documents, permits, and environmental documents through FY25.
GOAL 3. CUSTOMER SERVICES: Provide quality customer services by communicating effectively, billing accurately, and delivering water and wastewater services efficiently based on understanding the needs and perceptions of our customers and the community at large.
Objective 1. Conduct customer focus group meetings to acquire customer input on a bill redesign by end of the 1st Quarter of FY25. Evaluate feedback and develop bill redesign, if determined, by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 2. Continue implementation of the AMI project by replacing 20,000 aging water meters with smart meters to increase revenue, support conservation efforts, and provide better customer service by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 3. Conduct Customer Conversation meetings to engage customers and obtain input from customers on the Water Authority’s activities through the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 4. Track and report conservation education outreach to service area customers and meet the following targets: 1) 100 Water use Efficiency Audits; 2) 400 Landscape Professionals trained; and 3) 24 newsletter articles by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 5. In conjunction with the development of automated leak notifications for customers with AMI meters, develop an instructional video to assist customers in signing up in the self-service portal and setting alerts. Launch a marketing campaign to encourage AMI customers to sign up for the portal.
GOAL 4. BUSINESS PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT: Maintain a well-planned, managed, coordinated, and financially stable utility by continuously evaluating and improving the means, methods, and models used to deliver services.
Objective 1. Implement at least one planned Interceptor Rehabilitation project in FY25, and complete at least one interceptor design package by the 4th Quarter of FY25; Implement at least one planned Small Diameter Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation project in FY25.
Objective 2. Seek to increase renewable/green energy generation at Water Authority facilities. Provide updates on plan and project progress, and report power generation over time by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25. Generate at least 25% of total SWRP power needs from the on-site solar array and from digester gas-fueled cogeneration by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25 and report progress quarterly.
Objective 3. Finalize the Utility Development Guide to clarify the development process for users by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 4. Continue monitoring progress on the strategic asset management program (SAMP), with quarterly monitoring of the following metrics and associated targets through the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
i. Corrective Maintenance to Preventative Maintenance Ratio, Targe greater than 80%,
ii. Asset Registry Information Accuracy/Number of Assets without Life Cycle Status, Target less than 10%,
iii. Asset Inventory Accuracy, Target greater than 95%,
iv. Work Orders without Assets, Target less than 10%,
v. Work Order Aging, Target greater than 90% of Work Orders Closed within 180 calendar days.
Objective 5. To improve decision making with available data transition existing Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP), Scorecard, Effective Utility Management (EUM) and Operations dashboards to Microsoft Power BI by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25. Utilizing Power BI dashboards, with the integration with Maximo and Finance Enterprise, will ease the time required to calculate key performance indicators (KPIs).
Objective 6. Review and update the Water Authority’s Vulnerability Assessment (VA). Originally completed in 2018, the certification was submitted to the EPA in 2020. This assessment and certification are mandated to be revised and submitted to the EPA every 5 years. A consulting group will prepare a draft scope of work to evaluate the existing VA, commencing in the 1st Quarter of FY25. The assessment and certification process will conclude by the end of the 3rd Quarter of FY25.
Objective 7. Continue promoting a Culture of Security in accordance with the AWWA G430 standard within the Water Authority, by developing policies and procedures that include strategies for internal communication and training on security-related topics. Track and measure metrics quarterly throughout FY25 that are directly related to National Infrastructure Protection Plan Water Sector-Specific Plan and America’s Infrastructure Act.
Objective 8. Complete the annual update and review of the Comprehensive Information Technology Security Plan and related policies that are aligned with the standards, guidelines, and best practices of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25. Track and measure metrics that are directly related to NIST standards. Incorporate specific standards and policies that directly relate to the Water Authority’s Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. Complete Annual Penetration (PEN) test and remediate any critical items that pose an imminent threat. Automate and implement a secure zero-trust model to proactively detect and remediate indicators of compromise to minimize the impact to the Water Authority.
Objective 9. Continue implementation of the SCADA System Master Program. Implement both short-term and long-term goals directly tied to the sequencing of migrating to a single SCADA platform utilized including programmed projects by the end of the 4th quarter of FY25.
Objective 10. Upgrade and patch all enterprise applications to add required upgrades and enhancements, mitigate potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities, continue daily support, leverage functionality enhancements to improve business processes and capture and use data intelligently and create efficiencies through the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25. Major Projects include:
• Upgrade the Customer care and billing (CC&B) application. Expected completion during 1st Quarter of FY26.
• Utility Network upgrade to begin FY25 with completion targeted for FY26.
• SCADA Master Program related projects.
• Replace ITD ITSM Tool for Service Desk Functionality. Expected completion during FY25.
• Cloud/SAAS Migrations for targeted workloads.
Objective 11. Continue to develop LabVantage (“laboratory information management system”) throughout FY25 to maximize the automation of data entry to reduce data entry errors and increase the use of electronic data deliverables (EDD) through the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25. Provide quarterly update on the LabVantage Upgrade through the end of the 4th quarter of FY25.
Objective 12. Implementation of the Revised Lead and Copper rule. Continue the initial service line inventory, publish inventory online, create a lead service line replacement plan, submit the inventory and the replacement plan to NMED Drinking Water Bureau (DWB) by October 16, 2024. Resume testing and implementation of customer survey of household premise plumbing material. Began outreach to all elementary schools and childcare facilities regarding new monitoring requirements and follow up with sample plan templates. Initiate lead sampling at elementary schools and schools and childcare facilities.
Objective 13. Prepare for Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) regulation by conducting baseline sampling at active wells, the surface water intake, and distribution entry points by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25. This will help identify trends and/or impacts to the water supply.
Objective 14. Evaluate the current Water Authority Budget Ordinance and Water and Wastewater Rate Ordinance. Recommend updates and revisions to the ordinances in accordance with Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Best Practices and New Mexico State Statute requirements by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 15. Update and document all financial policies and procedures in accordance with GFOA Best Practices and internal audit recommendations by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 16. Assess and strategize processes to help reduce fuel over-consumption to minimize the operating cost of Water Authority vehicles. Collaborate with department heads to develop a strategic plan to minimize fuel consumption by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
GOAL 5. ORGANIZATION DEVELOPMENT: Sustain a well-informed, trained, motivated, safe, organized, and competitive work force to effectively meet the expectations of the customers, community, and Board in accordance with adopted policies and mandates.
Objective 1. Complete two employee wellness challenges per fiscal quarter focusing on nutrition, physical activity and weight loss, and disease and injury prevention to employees with a 60% or greater overall completion rate by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25. In collaboration with our Employee Assistance Program, increase mental health awareness through quarterly trainings and presentations. Incorporate more remote wellness options for employees to participate in, including video classes and instructional videos by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 2. Develop an awareness program to increase employee participation in annual physicals by 20% by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 3. Maintain an average utility-wide vacancy rate of no greater than 7% through the 4th Quarter of FY25. Maintain an average number of days to fill positions of 40 days or less through the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 4. Consistent with the EUM self-assessment, track and measure the effectiveness of an onsite injury prevention program by utilizing a local ergonomic/physical therapy contractor to conduct field ergonomic assessments. The goal of these assessments is to mitigate workplace injuries and to reinforce correct body mechanics. Maintain the yearly injury hours goal of 2,500 hours or less to improve productivity and reliability of services provided by employees by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Objective 5. Consistent with the Water Research Foundation Utility Innovation Project, report the Water Authority’s Innovation Program success stories through the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25 with a goal of at least 1 new innovation story each quarter.
Objective 6. Incorporate feedback from the pilot mentorship program to create a leadership development program that can be implemented Authority-wide. Complete a second mentor leadership program by the end of the 3rd Quarter of FY25.
Objective 7. Utilizing compensation data compiled by Rocky Mountain AWWA and other public entity sources, evaluate the data for union and non-union positions. This will include evaluating labor trends and market data to compare to Water Authority positions and develop compensation strategies base on the date by the end of the 4th Quarter of FY25.
Section 2. That the Executive Director of the Water Utility Authority shall ensure that these goals and objectives are carried out and integrated with the performance plan and submit a report by Goal to the Water Authority Board at least semi-annually on the progress made toward implementation of the one-year objectives.