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A change agent just what Water Utility needs

An editorial  —  7/08/2008 5:20 am

That the Madison Water Utility needs a new direction is not a point that any reasonable Madisonian will debate.

When thousands of citizens are drinking bottled water because they do not trust what comes out of the tap, and when reports from the "experts" at the Water Utility make claims about purity and perfection that might generously be dismissed as "overstated," something has to change.

Tom Heikkinen, the new general manager of the utility, comes across as a change agent.

Heikkinen, who now serves as the chief of plant operations for the Suburban Sanitary Commission in Washington, D.C., is set to begin work in Madison in August. But he is already sending the right signals.

Asked about a specific worry of Madisonians -- the cloudy water caused by manganese -- Heikkinen displayed an understanding and appreciation of the issue.

"It's an important and valid concern with the quality of the water," he said. "Nobody wants to see ice tea coming out of their faucet. It's not acceptable to the public. It's not acceptable to me. It won't be acceptable to the utility."

That's the right standard.

And it comes as part of a broader emphasis on taking a sound public utility, with a solid staff, and making it more communicative, respectful and responsive.

Explaining his priorities, Heikkinen said, "First and foremost is the quality of our water, the quality and safety of our drinking water, including those secondary issues around aesthetics. Secondly there is employee safety, morale and well-being. Third is customer service. And that includes public outreach, public participation, outreach to stakeholders, that whole external focus. And then the fourth thing is infrastructure and asset management and being good stewards of what we own so that our children and grandchildren can continue to enjoy the benefits of what we do."

If Heikkinen keeps to this agenda, he will meet with great success at the Water Utility in particular and in Madison generally. He will also be afforded the resources that are needed to update an aging infrastructure and create a water system suitable for the 21st century.

Madison can and must have the safest, healthiest and most attractive drinking water in the nation.

It will be Tom Heikkinen's job to determine what must be done to meet this goal, and it will be the job of the mayor and the City Council -- with federal and state aid -- to make sure he achieves it.

An editorial  —  7/08/2008 5:20 am