The awards acknowledge organizations that have made noteworthy contributions to urban water management in one or more of the following seven categories:

• Technical Innovation
  e. g. reduction in non-revenue water (NRW), energy audit, metering, information system improvement, cost effective technologies, 24X7 water supply initiatives.
• Financial Reform
  e. g. Accounting reforms, tariff and/or subsidy rationalization, cost recovery and bill-collection improvements
• Services To The Poor
  e. g. Improved access, targeted subsidies and incentives, participatory planning mechanisms
• Citizen Services And Governance
  e. g. Improved communication strategy, enhanced customer satisfaction, e-governance, public disclosure and transparency initiatives
• Public-Private Partnerships
  e. g. Provision of services, contracting out O&M services, engaging management expertise
• Urban Sanitation
  e. g. Awareness generation and behavior changes, eliminating open defecation, hygiene improvement, sanitary improvement and safe disposal practices, reuse and recycle of waste-water, strategies and plans for city-wide integrated sanitation, good O&M practices, capacity building, new financing options etc.
• Communication Strategy And Awareness Generation
  e. g. advocacy, outreach, dissemination, innovative knowledge sharing in various aspects of water and sanitation, video/audio film, campaigns organised for awareness generation and behavioural changes.