Lynchburg Water Resources Beyond 2020 Strategic Plan

Director's Message “Why are we here?” “What do we aspire to be?” These questions inspired Lynchburg Water Resources’ strategic planning process and helped us define our role in providing clean and safe water to our community. We recognize that water utilities are on the verge of a new era. Pipes that were installed over a century ago are in critical need of replacement. The current regulatory and legislative environment is becoming more complicated. Changing weather patterns result in more complex threats to our infrastructure. Technology improvements have changed the way we manage data and address customers’ needs and expectations. Education and outreach programs are vital in teaching our citizens and youth about the importance of protecting our environment.

A highly trained and motivated workforce is essential. We must meet these needs in a fiscally responsible manner, with rates that reflect the true cost of service but are also sensitive to the economic conditions in our community. This requires careful and thoughtful planning to ensure that our resources are used effectively and efficiently.

Beyond 2020 creates a clear strategy for addressing these challenges. This plan reflects several years of hard work and planning by many Water Resources employees.

We began by rebranding the department and creating a new logo with the tagline “Our Job is Clear!” Employee-led committees developed goals and initiatives for specific strategic objectives. We also developed a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) Analysis and utilized its results to enhance our plan. Finally, we brought in a facilitator to help ensure consistency across the plan.

Our Mission and Vision statements provide the foundation for the entire plan and demonstrate our commitment to clean water and our community. Our Mission is clear: Promote the life, health, and prosperity of our community. Our Vision is simple: Clean Water, Clear Streams, Thriving Community.

Our values support our mission and vision. Instead of the more traditional approach of defining our values, we used them in statements to emphasize what is important to us.

We are committed to the health and safety of our citizens. We are passionate about 1