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The number of contract operatedwater and wastewater plants in the United States increased more than five foldduring the 1990s. Contract operators succeeded by showing that these plants could beoperated more efficiently and effectively by using a number of strategies.Water and wastewater utility managers responded to this challenge by adaptingthe contract operator's strategies and focusing on:reducing unit operations and maintenance (Oachieving staffing efficiency;optimizing operations; and,increasing effectiveness.This paper demonstrates that, by and large, the industry has been successful inmeeting this challenge. However, this decade's challenges will be quite different and utility manager's focus will have to shift from: downsizing to rightsizing;O and, fromoptimization (or competitiveness) to constant improvement.This paper focuses on the implications of staffing demographics on utilitymanagement and the steps that management must take on the road to arightsized organization. The American Water Works Association ResearchFoundation (AwwaRF) has recently awarded a research project to study theimplications of labor demographics entitled "Succession Planning For A VitalWorkforce in the Information Age." This study which is also co-funded by theWater Environment Research Foundation is briefly described.

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Edition: Vol. - No. Number of Pages: 7File Size: 1 file , 150 KB