AWWA ACE90071 ✓ Most Recent

This paper describes how Houston sized, organized and equipped its work crews to increase productivity. In 1984-1985, the 5,000 mile water distribution system generated about 500 annual failures per 100 miles, with thousands of repairs backlogged. Two hundred calls a day were not uncommon. The backlog was dramatically controlled in 1986 and beyond, using methods described in this paper. Crews were reorganized by combining water and wastewater organizations, downsizing the crew and fleet, and replacing paper work orders with a radio controlled system for improved flexibility. Crews were reorganized for agility; in the past, every crew comprised two to six workers, and every truck carried all of the equipment that might be needed for any type job--including a backhoe! After reorganizing workers into one to three man crews, area supervisors combined crews for big jobs and dispatched roving parts trucks to answer unusual calls. Excavation safety was emphasized, and a safety cage is now carried with most backhoes. By downsizing and reorganizing individual crews, the utility was able to double the total number of crews and therefore the number of jobs being worked simultaneously. In 1989, more than 170,000 work orders were completed. See more