State Auditor to Conduct Performance
Audit of Seattle Public Utilities
Audits of All State and Local Governments Required Under Initiative I-900

For immediate release: 4/22/08
For more information, Contact: Andy Ryan, (206) 684-7688

SEATTLE — The State Auditor’s Office has issued a request for proposals for a performance audit of Seattle Public Utilities (SPU).

The upcoming review of the Utilities’ operations is one in a series of audits related to the Performance Audits of Government Initiative I-900, approved by voters in November 2005. The ballot initiative required the state auditor to conduct performance audits on all state and local governments and provided a substantial budget for pursuing those audits.

Many government organizations, particularly transportation agencies, have already undergone performance audits; more than 20 are slated to begin this year, with a partial shift of focus to the utility sector. Seattle Public Utilities is one of the largest utilities in the state.

Chuck Clarke, SPU’s director, said the Utilities will cooperate fully and efficiently with the audit.

“We have been actively engaged in strategies for improving service delivery to our customers, and I welcome fresh perspectives on how that work can be accomplished,” Clarke said.

A performance audit is the process of evaluating an agency’s work in terms of efficiency, effectiveness and economy. In the process of a performance audit, evidence is assessed against objective criteria to determine opportunities for improvement.

Although government agencies such as SPU regularly undergo audits of their financial statements, such reviews do not focus on an entity’s performance per se, but rather on whether it has taken appropriate actions to control and safeguard its finances and accurately report its financial conditions. The SPU performance audit could take as long as seven months.

In addition to providing a reliable water supply to more than 1.3 million customers in the Seattle metropolitan area, SPU provides essential sewer, drainage, solid waste and engineering services that safeguard public health, maintain the city’s infrastructure and protect, conserve and enhance the region's environmental resources.

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Seattle Public Utilities