An innovative approach to benchmarking is providing the managers from almost 30 Canadian water utilities with a unique tool to assist their quest for superior performance. This approach is focusing on the benchmarking of water treatment and distribution systems within the context of productivity, reliability, labor, environment and financial efficiency. The quantitative measures developed through benchmarking, combined with the shared experiences and networking between the participants, provide an unlimited resource of information from which improvements in operations can be identified and implemented. This paper focuses on the experience of one of the utility participants and of the consultant team that designed and delivered the process. Beyond a mere comparison of benchmarking results, experience has taught that the real value of benchmarking lies in identifying areas of performance gaps and working as a team to share experiences and formulate improvement strategies focused on specific processes. Includes figures.