In August 2024, EPA and industry partners released a modernized version of the Effectively Managed Utilities Primer to reflect the changes in water utility management over the past several years. This effort was guided by a select group of utility leaders from around the country.
Today’s water sector utilities face a daunting array of tough challenges from rising costs and aging infrastructure. These challenges are becoming more complex, from workforce recruitment to extreme weather events to rapidly evolving technology, as well as building a strong workplace culture.
Recognizing this fact, EPA started working with a range of water associations and utility leaders from around the country to identify what practices helped them achieve success. This effort resulted in the approach called Effective Utility Management (EUM) based on a series of Attributes of Effectively Managed Utilities.
The heart of EUM is the EUM Primer, which allows utilities to chart a course for ensuring their operations are truly sustainable. EUM is now the most widely used water utility management framework in the country.
