Press Releases

Customer Service Excellence, Stakeholder Engagement, and Technology Modernization have been core priorities under our 2022-2027 Strategic Plan. Since adopting the plan, SWBNO has made significant investments to improve service delivery, transparency, and operational efficiency through initiatives like the Smart Metering Program and the Customer Portal. These technologies have provided customers with access to water usage information, billing services, and communications tools while enabling more efficient operations.

As part of our ongoing commitment to improvement, SWBNO is also modernizing the tools and systems used to manage and maintain critical water, sewer, and drainage infrastructure.

SWBNO’s existing work order management system has been in service for more than 30 years and lacks many of the capabilities available in modern asset management platforms. In 2026, SWBNO completed a competitive procurement process and selected a new cloud-based asset management system that will provide employees across the organization with enhanced tools for managing infrastructure, work orders, inspections, and customer service activities. Initial components of the new system are anticipated to begin deployment in Fall 2027.

Until the new system is fully implemented, certain processes require additional documentation and manual oversight. For example, one of the limitations of the current system is that we do not automatically receive alerts when certain locations or areas generate high call volume. While the new system will offer a long-term solution, the current situation requires additional manual review. To address this in the interim, we have formalized the following process improvements.

Process Improvements

Inspections

• Require timestamped photos for repeat inspections involving deteriorating conditions or work occurring adjacent to trees.
• Strengthen documentation standards to improve tracking of site conditions and follow-up activities.

Call Center

• Implement updated communication guidelines for recurring customer inquiries related to the same issue.
• Generate weekly reports to identify and monitor duplicate calls and recurring service concerns.

Backlog Review and Auditing

• Conduct enhanced reviews of all work orders open longer than 150 days.
• Compile inspection documentation, including photographs, for all Priority A and B work orders open for more than one week.

Customer Communications

• Maintain a service goal of responding to customer email inquiries within 48 hours through Maintenance Escalations/Customer Liaisons team.
• Improve the Problem on Property (POP) notification process by enhancing customer communication and identifying tracking and follow-up procedures for cases involving SWBNO excavation activities.

Technology Enhancements

• Prepare and optimize work order data for migration into the new asset management system.
• Develop internal tools that allow inspectors to securely submit and share photographs, site conditions, and work order information.  
• Enhance public work order dashboard to include search function by work order number.

Operations & Safety

• Expand the availability of safety equipment, including steel plates and barricades, to enhance public and employee safety around open excavations and pending repairs.

Council Reporting & Transparency

• Provide monthly district-level reporting on:
  • Catch basin cleaning activities
  • Canal grass cutting schedules
  • Water and sewer repairs opened and closed
  • Paving work orders
  • Customer calls and online service requests

Partner Coordination

• Temporary paving with DPW: after repairs are completed, major or highly trafficked roadways will receive temporary asphalt to minimize vehicular impacts while final restoration is pending.
• Post-repair stabilization with Parks and Parkways and local arborists.

Media Contact: SWBNO MEDIA media@swbno.org