Competitiveness and operational efficiency are growing themes in utility management across the nation as utilities deal with increasing pressure to do more with less. A “multidimensional benchmarking” methodology is necessary to obtain an objective assessment of performance, and to guide optimization and improvement efforts. This paper presents the methodology applied to the evaluation and optimization of service level and efficiency in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utility Department (CMUD) pretreatment program. The results obtained are evaluated as the basis for an improvement plan to better balance environmental and public health protection, resource constraints, and customer satisfaction.