Wastewater ratepayers save big through 10-year productivity program

Program sunsets after generating $84 million in savings; new program under development

Ratepayers kept nearly $84 million in their pockets over the past decade, thanks to employee-generated cost savings and increased efficiencies that came out of King County Wastewater Treatment Division’s 10-year Productivity Initiative Program.

"The program's overall success shows clearly that our employees are motivated to create efficiencies that benefit sewer ratepayers and improve our customer service," said King County Executive Dow Constantine."I look forward to building on this success as we work to inspire efficiency innovations among employees countywide."

The innovative Productivity Initiative Pilot Program began in 2001 and established annual cost reduction goals as well as annual savings targets. The 2000 wastewater operating budget was established as a baseline.

From the program’s beginning through its sunset in April, employees played a key role in identifying ways to work more efficiently and save money.

Most significantly, the utility held staffing to year 2000 levels despite adding three new treatment plants to the regional system, requiring a commitment from management, staff and labor unions to collaborate on work approaches and adopt new methods for operating and maintaining the plants.

Other ideas ranged from employees inventing new tools to the smarter use of process chemicals and creative approaches to improving maintenance practices.

For example:

• In 2003, operations employees reconfigured the disinfection system at South Treatment Plant in Renton, allowing a dramatic reduction in the amount of sodium hypochlorite needed to disinfect treated wastewater while meeting all permit requirements.  In 2010 alone, this saved more than $145,000.
• Employees at West Point Treatment Plant in Seattle devised a better screening system to more effectively remove and dry out trash from the treatment process, producing a cleaner product suitable for recycling into a top cover for waste at Cedar Hills Regional Landfill, which also saved money on disposal costs. In 2010, savings totaled more than $77,000.
• When operators were being sidelined by lost-time back and shoulder injuries at South Treatment Plant, an employee developed a “gate-lifter” tool to make it easier for his coworkers to lift equipment that controls wastewater flow. In 2010, savings came to $16,500. Executive Constantine recently visited the employees at the South Treatment Plant to present an appreciation award as a result of their work.
• In 2007, wastewater inspection employees used an underwater camera from King County’s Environmental Lab to inspect several outfalls, reducing the use of contract divers while allowing better access to facilities. Savings average about $4,000 year.

The 2010 results marked the eighth time in the past 10 years that employees met their productivity target that allowed a small portion of the savings to be shared with the employees. Each year targets were met, wastewater treatment program employees received a financial incentive. The average annual payout was $650 per employee after taxes, which represents a total of $4.4 million in payouts out of the $83.89 million in generated savings.

An internal comprehensive review of the decade-long program was conducted by a WTD team. Additionally, the County auditor conducted a third-party consultant review of the program. The reports highlighted successes as well as ways any future program might be improved.
More information about the Productivity Initiative, including annual reports, is available online: http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wtd/About/Finances/PI/Library.aspx.

Executive Constantine has directed the Wastewater Treatment Division to develop another program, which will require review and adoption by the Metropolitan King County Council before it can take effect.

Note to editors and reporters: Visit the WTD Newsroom, a portal to information for the news media about the Wastewater Treatment Division, King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks: http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wtd/Newsroom.aspx

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People enjoy clean water and a healthy environment because of King County's wastewater treatment program. The county’s Wastewater Treatment Division protects public health, the environment and the economy by serving 17 cities, 17 local sewer districts and more than 1.5 million residents in King, Snohomish and Pierce counties. Formerly called Metro, the regional clean-water agency now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for nearly 50 years.