AWWA INF53951

In this paper, the authors make a case for water and wastewater utilities todevelop explicit and well thought-out infrastructure asset management strategies.The authors make the distinction that utilities typically have default strategiesfor asset management, conducting business based on budgeting and planningpractices rooted in historical trends. The approaches defined here help thebest-managed utilities align functional activities and practices withcorporate-wide goals to achieve strategic or longer-term objectives. An effectiveasset management strategy must be developed, articulated, integrated andsupported across all functional areas of the utility, including operations,engineering, planning, and finance and executive functions. Each of thesefunctions needs to be guided by this strategy. The authors define thecompetencies needed to develop these asset management strategies, sources ofpotential data for the planning, and models for the content of the plans. Thestrategy is the foundation for delivering asset (and maintenance) managementpractices dealing with the entire life cycle of an asset, from conceptual designto disposal at the end of its useful life. The strategy sets goals to beachieved, guides decisions regarding the amount of effort to expend, tools touse, and data to capture for measuring performance. Includes 4 references, figure.