INTRODUCTION

About this Technical Guide Utility owners and operators strive for continuous improvement of their water systems and the development of their staff. This ensures that they are able to meet and exceed users' needs, are cost efficient and effective in the use of resources to ensure sustainability, and are meeting the applicable environmental and health regulations.

Three international standards have been developed to guide utilities in setting and meeting objectives towards improving their operations. These are being adopted as National Standards of Canada in 2009:
- CAN/CSA-Z24510, Activities relating to drinking water and wastewater services - Guidelines for the assessment and for the improvement of the service to users
- CAN/CSA-Z24511, Activities relating to drinking water and wastewater services
- Guidelines for the management of wastewater utilities and for the assessment of wastewater services
- CAN/CSA-Z24512, Activities relating to drinking water and wastewater services
- Guidelines for the management of drinking water utilities and for the assessment of drinking water services

This Technical Guide was developed to assist utility owners and operators in the use of the CAN/CSA-ISO standards. It offers a consistent and standardized means of continuously improving their utility's effectiveness using performance indicators. As stated by wellknown management guru, Peter Drucker, "you cannot improve what you do not measure."

This Guide also builds on existing quality standards published by ISO and CSA that incorporate the fundamental principle of "plan-do-check-act" (PDCA) as shown in the following diagram. The methodology is consistent with and supportive of ISO's management system standards. Implementing an overall ISO 9001 and 14001 management system can help a utility implement the CAN/CSA-Z24510, Z24511 and Z24512 standards. At the same time, these standards may help to achieve the technical requirements of CAN/CSA-ISO 9001 and 14001 for organizations choosing to implement them.