Keeping Employees and Management Focused on an EMS After Implementation John B. Cook, P.E. Rick Bickerstaff

Regional water & wastewater provider 400,000 Served

The management system implemented under the EMS has had a significant effect on bond ratings Moody’s A1 to Aa3 Savings: *$100,000 per yr Standard & Poor’s Fitch Ratings AA- to AA Savings: *$170,000 per yr.

How do you keep your employees plugged into your EMS?

There exists an intrinsic employee connection to the environment.

Keeping employees involved in environmental improvements provides a “direct connect” to the EMS program. Pollution prevention (P2) team Sub-committees Departmental EMS committees Special project teams

Sub-committees Departments

Establishing a culture of environmental stewardship fosters program commitment. Communication Awareness training Encouragement to contribute Involvement by top management

Keeping “continual improvement” as a central business focus keeps employees engaged. Objectives & targets that “s t r e t c h” Benchmarking Correction action plans Recognition of continual improvement *Incentive pay *“On the Spot” awards *Crew of the month

Frequent monitoring of the EMS keeps employees & management aware of overall progress. Levels of monitoring *Self-monitoring *Team *Departmental *Executive management Productivity measurement Performance management Regulatory compliance

Periodic reviews promote continual improvement by employees. Standard Operating Procedure reviews Emergency drill reviews Post incident reviews Monthly Operating Reports Audits *Internal *External

Communication provides an important link between the community and employees. Surveys Web sites Bill inserts Newsletters Speaker’s bureau Plant tours Transparency

Using the EMS as a platform for other management systems magnifies the significance of the EMS. Project management Strategic planning Asset management Risk management

Since the inception of our EMS, hundreds of Improvement Programs have been established. Geographical Information System Preventive Maintenance * WWCD: $52,000 per yr. PM:CM Ratio

Improvement Programs (continued) Emergency Preparedness *Emergency plans *Periodic drills Homeland Security *Vulnerability assessment *Improvement programs Category 4 Hurricane Hugo made landfall in Charleston on September 21, 1989.

Improvement Programs (continued) Fuel Reduction *29% reduction in one department *$48,000 / yr. savings 2005 Fuel Reduction Team *Water Plant: $8,500 / yr. *WW Plant: $19,500 / yr. *Route-Smart software *Hauling: $19,000 / yr.

Improvement Programs (continued) New Technologies *Klorigen System *Process savings: $75,000 / yr. Data Mining as Aid to Decision-Making

2000 Strategic Plan 95% of goals achieved! Improvement Programs (continued)

In conclusion, implementation of an EMS has improved our organization in many ways. Improved business management Preventive vs. reactive Focus on continual improvement We are now a: Thinking organization Planning organization

Thank you for your time and attention! For more information, please contact John Cook at or Rick Bickerstaff at