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A Tale of Two Cities

In his column, AWWA Executive Director David LaFrance discusses the speed at which information technology (IT) is advancing and how critical a role IT plays in enabling water utility business. He presents two water utilities in two cities as examples of using technology to create the best of times for their customers. One, Boston Water and Sewer Commission (BWSC), provides water to a booming metropolis, while the other, Dubuque Water Department (DWD), provides water to a much smaller community in Iowa. BWSC models the benefits of data integration, standardized data inputs, operational efficiency, and enabled employees. At the core of its integrated systems is a geographic information system (GIS). In an initial pilot study at DWD, and through both the use of the smart meters that DWD installed and the technology supported by the city's technology partners, the city provided DWD's customers with virtually real‐time water consumption data.