Wateropolis: What It Takes to Run a Water Utility

Wateropolis: What It Takes to Run a Water Utility

Published on September 12, 2025

A lot more goes on in the decision-making process of Public Utilities than meets the eye. The Public Utilities department hosted an interactive exercise called "Wateropolis."

Internal employees gained a deeper understanding of the "behind-the-curtain" water processes and how our Clearwater team navigates these challenges and makes decisions. This three-hour simulation was hands-on and explored the complexities of utility budgeting, managing competing priorities, and adapting to shifting consumption and revenue trends.

Participants were split into teams, each acting as its own water department. Each one faced a series of budgeting scenarios and had to weigh priorities, including customer satisfaction, reliability performance, stakeholder understanding, community sustainability and employee development.

As the scenarios grew more complex, tough decisions were made, bringing into perspective the challenges our city and utilities department leadership face. Teams compared results, learned from one another, and can apply lessons learned to today's real-life scenarios.