Connecticut Water Company has been honored as a 2015 Management Innovation Award Winner by the National Association of Water Companies (NAWC).

The public water utility, which serves nearly 300,000 customer in 56 towns, was recognized for its industry leading Customer Protection Program that was launched last spring. A key element of the program is the ability to email a photo of the Connecticut Water employee assigned to perform work at a customer's home before they arrive to perform the work.

This innovative concept allows the customer to be sure the person at the door is a Connecticut Water employee before they let them into their home and provides protection from impostors posing as utility workers who might try to take advantage of our customers. 

"We are proud to be recognized by our industry colleagues for this program and of our employees who worked to implement this feature," Eric W. Thornburg, president and CEO of Connecticut Water, said in a press release. "We continually look for ways to use technology to better serve our customers and meet the growing needs and expectations for information."

Thornburg added that Connecticut Water employees have embraced the effort as they are committed to do what they can to keep customers safe.

The initiative has also won praise from consumer advocates, public utility regulators and from the customers the program is designed to protect. In recent surveys conducted by an independent research firm, nearly 92 percent of the customers who were aware of the program supported it.

The Management Innovation Award offers a unique opportunity for NAWC members to be recognized for new and innovative programs that have benefitted their organization, their customers, the communities they serve or the water industry as a whole. One of the goals of the award is to share innovative ideas that may be replicated by member utilities.

About the NAWC
NAWC is the voice of the private water industry and the organization exclusively representing this group of quality water service providers, innovation drivers, creative financiers and responsible partners. To learn more about NAWC, visit NAWC.com.