Core Values

The Core Values of our organization are values we hold, which form the foundation on which we perform work and conduct ourselves. The values motivate our work, how we interact with each other, and which strategies we employ to fulfill our mission. The core values are the basic elements of how we go about our work. They are the practices we use every day in everything we do.

The Agency Core Values are as follows:

Service

We take pride in our responsibility to the community, to the water and to the future. We extend our responsibility and dedication for service to all we encounter in our community, including each other, the Board of Directors, rate payers, member districts, contractors, taxpayers, and visitors.

We:

  • Prioritize, meet, and exceed our water quality requirements
  • Greet and welcome everyone within our community
  • Treat everyone consistently and equally
  • Exceed expectations in serving our community
  • Take ownership and follow through on all issues until resolved

Professionalism

We are a team of respectful professionals. Regardless of position, we provide leadership and take pride in doing what is right. As environmental and financial stewards, we are dedicated to serving in the safest, most positive, and efficient manner with the highest level of integrity.

We:

  • Lead by example and represent each other, the Board of Directors, the Agency and the Community in a positive manner at all times
  • Uphold the highest integrity at all times by being honest, accountable and trustworthy
  • Constantly seek ways to improve efficiency, productivity, processes and tasks
  • Are vigilant and take responsibility for maintaining personal, team, and community safety
  • Are active, positive participants in creating an enjoyable and respectful working environment
  • Are punctual, reliable and dependable at all times
  • Maintain a professional appearance

Teamwork

We support each other, the Board of Directors and our entire community, promoting collaboration and cooperation to fulfill our vision. We believe that through respectful and inclusive teamwork we achieve more. We value people who do what is best for the team and their own happiness.

We:

  • Actively seek ways to collaborate with each other and our member districts
  • Develop and lift each other up by sharing resources and transferring knowledge through inclusive cooperation
  • Respect how all positions relate to our vision and how our actions impact others
  • Recognize and support each other’s ideas, achievements and contributions
  • Treat each other with respect at all times
  • Assume positive intent by seeking to understand rather than to blame
  • Take responsibility, accept consequences, and seek collaborative solutions for our actions
  • Take stock and ownership of our own happiness and assess our fit with the culture

Initiative

We continue to evolve to meet our community’s future. We take personal responsibility for continuous improvement, learning, and growth which are critical to our environment, our individual success, and the success of the Agency. We support growth, development, succession planning, and job satisfaction. We acknowledge challenges will occur, but progress is impossible without change.

We:

  • Actively collaborate, seeking positive solutions for problems or issues as they arise
  • Seek increased responsibility and grow in our positions, taking ownership for our individual job satisfaction
  • Seek assistance and input when needed
  • Actively participate in learning opportunities and continuous improvements
  • Develop skills and engage in succession planning
  • Prudently research and apply new technologies and industry best practices where appropriate
  • Embrace and support change

Communication

We use kind and transparent communication to build positive and effective relationships with each other, the Board of Directors, and our entire community. Open, honest, and respectful communication is fundamental to the success of the Agency, the team and each of us as individuals.

We:

  • Create a climate of trust and respect through honesty, integrity and transparency
  • Seek the truth and share the truth
  • Will not spread divisive rumors because we recognize the negative impact to the community
  • Listen effectively to understand, not to refute
  • Communicate positively and effectively in both oral and written form
  • Are inclusive, polite and approachable in all interactions
  • Actively seek and provide honest but kind, constructive feedback
  • Build relationships, when there are concerns, by including all parties involved in the conversation