Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/850954
E n s u r i n g a S t r o n g F u t u r e 31 | P a g e Asset Management Utilities face an on-going struggle between maintaining aging infrastructure, funding fixed operational costs and minimizing rate increases; this battle is exacerbated when demand is low and revenue is limited. Districts need to optimize the life and performance of assets through focused maintenance and prioritization of expenditures for critical replacements. With limited resources, the District must prioritize capital spending. Based on a combination of condition assessment data and a CIP budget of approximately $10 million per year, the District's near- term strategy is to focus on developing an asset-management system that can help staff identify vulnerabilities and opportunities; this necessitates the development of an asset management strategic vision which is right sized for the District, implementation of a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), and a comprehensive condition assessment of the existing infrastructure. In the absence of a formal CMMS, maintenance work on District assets is currently planned and tracked manually, with spreadsheets and in the District's Geographic Information System (GIS). The District's GIS is well-developed and supported; all assets are mapped in the database and preventive and predictive maintenance is tied in to those assets including CCTV, condition assessment, valve replacement and turning, hydrant maintenance and cathodic protection. The data in our GIS will be key to implementing a CMMS because a CMMS can connect to a GIS to integrate and connect all of the work management pieces. Ultimately an asset management program should not simply be a re-prioritized capital improvement plan. Asset management will enable the District to better understand each individual asset and how these assets perform in conjunction with other assets to demonstrate levels of service and costs. The core philosophy of asset management is to manage the maintenance, repair, and replacement of assets in a cost-effective manner, at the lowest risk, while meeting the agency's level of service goals and objectives. The figure below illustrates the steps involved in developing a mature asset management program for the District. Benefits of implementing an asset management program include: • Protecting and extending the life of the District's assets beyond an average expected useful life. • Reducing equipment downtime and risk of unexpected failures through proper preventive maintenance and asset renewal planning. • Improved operations and maintenance staff productivity through better resource planning, coordination, and management. • More accurate predictions of annual District staffing and O&M budgetary requirements. • Ability to demonstrate that the District is meeting specific levels of service for its ratepayers. Letting ratepayers know about and understand when and why common assets such as water mains and sewers are scheduled to be replaced.