AWWA ACE95089

In September 1993, the American Water Works Association Research Foundation (AWWARF) initiated a project to develop practical guidance to water utility managers in the development or improvement of watershed management programs. The project was designed to collect and analyze water quality data from several water utilities, draw conclusions about the effectiveness of specific water management techniques and provide guidance to water utility managers based on the experience of their colleagues. Within the first three months of the project, after contacting 120 water utility managers with watershed management programs, it became evident that the water quality data available was not adequate to support the statistical protocols established in the project plan. As a result, a revised approach was developed emphasizing the use of available information and emerging computer communication technologies to produce a multi-media reference manual for watershed managers. This paper describes the research and development of the manual with emphasis on the research process, the resulting product and anticipated benefits it will provide water utility managers.