Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The asset management plan depends on reliable and consistent data. The data
must be collected in a standardized way, documenting links between different
items, with a thorough database of the municipality
s infrastructure inventory. Upon
completion of the data collection, a commitment must be made to keep the database
up to date; in some instances, a quality control plan will be necessary to ensure a
continually improving quality of data.
Implementation of an asset management plan requires a business plan. The asset
management team should include employees from all departments of the munici-
pality. Asset information needs to be provided continually; this information should
be shared amongst all team members.
As recently as 2002 the computerized systems available have been found to be
inadequate as a sole source of asset management. These systems can only be
considered to be a part of the plan; they cannot be considered to be the only plan.
The implementation of the business plan should include projected bene
'
ts and
costs. The implementation plan should include objectives, schedules, budgets,
milestones, and responsibility.
The Technology Road Map was published by the Canadian Society for Civil
Engineering, Canadian Council of Professional Engineers, Canadian Public Works
Association, and the National Research Council (CSCE 2003 ). The road map
includes both a survey of the current state of infrastructure in Canada and an
identification of what will be needed in the future.
Benchmarking is very important in asset management as it provides a useful way
of measuring performance. Metric benchmarking refers to the measurement of inputs
and outputs against internal targets. Performance benchmarking refers to comparison
with other entities that are known to perform well. Three benchmarking studies that
were completed are the Ontario Municipal Chief Administrative Of
cers Bench-
marking Initiative (OMBI), the Ontario Municipal Performance Measurement Pro-
gram (MPMP) and the Canadian National Water and Wastewater Benchmarking
Partnership. Any data collected from benchmarking must be considered in its
environment. Different geopolitical conditions may mean that some entities are
unable to meet the targets that others meet and can only use those targets as a guide.
Technology makes asset management easier; software enables utilities to collect,
organize, manage, and present data in a number of different ways. Inspection and
rehabilitation technologies allow the utilities to identify and repair weaknesses
before costly accidents occur. The Ontario government passed the Sustainable
Water and Sewage Act in 2002, which requires that municipalities record the full
cost of water services and that they recover these costs.
Some municipalities have implemented programs designed to improve service
delivery. Some of the programs that have been implemented are AWWA
s Qual-
Serve Program, ISO 9000 and ISO 14000. ISO/TC 224 has been developed as the
new standard for water (ISO 2014 ).
Asset management can be implemented in small and remote municipalities as
well. Each plan needs to be adjusted to re
'
ect the exact circumstances of the
individual municipality. They should have maps that identify the type and age of
each asset as well as its location and its identi
cation number.
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