Successful safety is a challenging objective for any company and the water industry is no exception. Inherent within the industry are numerous occupational hazards such as: working in wet unstable environments, lifting in restrictive work confines and maintenance of systems frequently under a pressurized condition. It is understandable that in 1993 the National Safety Council reported the water industry as having the highest incidence of occupational injuries for utility companies--surpassing the electric and gas utilities combined. This paper describes the San Juan Water District's safety program and the successes that they have experienced. This back-to-basics program included: management support, written safety policy, employee recognition, and employee support. The company also found that several essential elements were necessary if the program was to work effectively: employee input and involvement, a win-win attitude, taking the employees side, and people caring for people. San Juan Water District has been on both sides of the statistical table and presently is leading a trend to eliminate lost work day injuries from occurring on the job.