Water Main Asset
Management
Identification, Prioritization,
Justification
Evan N. Pratt, PE
Principal
254 W. Eastland Street | Gallatin, Tennessee 37066 | www.ohm-advisors.com

Learning Objectives
• Develop an understanding for cheap and
cost effective asset management using
readily available data
• Review a method for needs prioritization
• Identify additional steps for prioritizing
multiple assets

Check In
What’s it like in your community or
agency?

Check In
Value of all of your infrastructure?
Lowest cost of reinvestment?
Who “gets it”?

Check In
Tools
CIP
1 or more Utility Asset Management plans
Combined Asset Management plan
Budget for above

Area:
City of Romulus
35.9 mi2
Population:
2000 census: 22,979
2007 estimate: 24,414
Infrastructure:
water main: 300 miles
san. sewer: 150 miles
roads: 220 miles
Approximate
Replacement
Value:
$1 Billion

What is
Asset Management?

Providing the desired
level of service at the
lowest LIFE CYCLE cost.

What is Asset Management?
?

Asset Management with
Simple Tools and
Historic Data

Your Tools
Main break sheets
Push pin map
Spreadsheets
Lists
GIS

Simple Tool

Asset Condition Model
Road Assets
Condition
Point of Major
Rehabilitation
Life of Asset
Time

Challenges for Water Main
Asset Condition Model
• Environment
Condition
• Material
Point of Action
• System Operation
Time

Two Central Questions
Condition assessment
• What is it
• How can it be done?
Prioritization
• Critical Asset concept
• When to act, in what order?

Condition Assessment
1. Physical Signs
2. Service Delivery Signs
3. Signs of Increasing Risk

Condition Assessment
Physical Signs
• Number of water main breaks increasing
• Increasing age of water main
Service Delivery Signs
• Discoloration in the water
• Inadequate water pressures
• Inadequate fire hydrant flows

Condition Assessment
Signs of Increasing Risk
• Critical pipe failures
• Non-compliance with Safe Drinking Water
Act
• Severe breaks when they occur
• Angry Planners or Elected officials…

The W.I.N. Model
Service Delivery
• Pressure variations
• Fire protection capacity or ISO hydrant test
results
• Pipe friction losses per length of pipe

The W.I.N. Model
Physical Conditions
• Age of pipe assets
• Number of water main breaks
• Frequency of breaks
• Corrosion

The W.I.N. Model
Risk Management
• Severity of breaks
• Consequences of failure
• Future development potential

City of Southfield
Area:
26.2 mi2
Population:
2000 census: 78,296
2007 estimate: 76,285
Infrastructure:
water main: 360 miles
san. sewer: 300 miles
roads: 242 miles
Approximate
Replacement
Value:
$1.5 Billion

Simple Tool

Quantification of Infrastructure
Avg Avg Peak Head loss
Group # D, inch Hr. psi ft/1,000 ft Age Breaks
1 6.7 45 3.42 1947 41
2 6.4 44 0.9 1972 26
3 6 39 0.52 1946 7
4 7.75 59 1.42 1976 17
5 7.4 51 2.56 1973 21
6 6.3 43 1.12 1953 27
7 6.9 47 2.4 1962 33
8 7 51 1.4 1959 7
9 12 52.5 0.001 2003 0
10 6.95 55 11.3 1954 40

Prioritization of Infrastructure
Friction Severity Pressure Age Break Community Corrosion WIN Priority
Group Factor Index Factor Factor Factor Impact Factor Factor Ranking
A 0.30 0.56 0.87 1.00 1.00 1 0.2 4.93 1
B 0.08 0.53 0.89 0.99 0.63 0.2 0.2 3.52 6
C 0.05 0.50 1.00 1.00 0.17 0 0 2.72 10
D 0.13 0.65 0.66 0.98 0.41 0 0.2 3.03 8
E 0.23 0.62 0.76 0.99 0.51 1 0 4.11 3
F 0.10 0.53 0.91 1.00 0.66 0 0 3.19 7
G 0.21 0.58 0.83 0.99 0.80 0.2 0.2 3.81 5
H 0.12 0.58 0.76 0.99 0.17 1 0.2 3.84 4
I 0.00 1.00 0.74 0.97 0.00 0 0.2 2.91 9
J 1.00 0.58 0.71 1.00 0.98 0.2 0.2 4.66 2

The W.I.N. Model
Physical Conditions
• Age of pipe assets
• Number of water main breaks
• Frequency of breaks
• Corrosion

Collective Prioritization
How to Eat the Elephant:
• Water Main improvements
• Sanitary sewer improvements
• Pump Station improvements
• Plant Improvements

Collective Prioritization
If Possible
• Storm sewer improvements
• Road improvements

Roads
Priority Map
Water Main
Priority Map
Sanitary Sewer
Priority Map

Water Infrastructure Prioritization

How to Get Behinder
80,000,000
70,000,000
60,000,000
50,000,000
Needed Funding
$ Budget
40,000,000
30,000,000 Existing Funding
20,000,000
10,000,000
-
2005 2010 2015 2020 2025 2030
Years

Education Program: KISS

Learning Objectives
• Developing an understanding for cheap and
cost effective asset management using
readily available data
• Evaluating a method for needs
prioritization
• Identifying additional steps for prioritizing
multiple assets

Key Points
• People need to know the total value of
your system
• Use the car analogy; millions are a modest
%
• Assess the condition of your assets
• Prioritize replacement and maintenance

Key Points
• Engage decision makers in the categories
for prioritization
• Critical assets, development, fire
protection all get people’s attention! Tie to
reinvestment needs.